Abdurrahman Aman
GUWAHATI, MARCH 2—The death toll in Meghalaya with regard to anti-CAA violence has reached three, with the murder of a vegetable seller Rupchand Dewan in Shillong on Saturday. He hailed from Barpeta district of Assam but was working in Shillong for the last four years.
A large part of the state including state capital Shillong has been placed under curfew and mobile internet services have also been snapped with a view to prevent spreading of rumour and maintaining law and order situation.
Dewan was murdered after the killing of a Khasi man identified as Lurshai Hynniewta by a non-tribal mob in Ichamati village in the east Khasi Hills district, bordering Bangladesh.
According to police, Dewan, a Muslim, was stabbed by masked men who also attacked several others in Bara Bazar area of Shillong in which nine persons, all non-tribals, sustained injuries.
Police believes that Saturday’s attack in Shillong is in retaliation to the killing of Hynniewta, a Khasi tribal, during an anti-CAA meeting in Ichamati village, about 90 km from Shillong, on Friday.
According to reports, Khasi Students’Union (KSU), an influential students body of tribals, had organised the meeting at Ichamati village to seek support for implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya and oppose CAA. But a clash took place after between KSU members and non-tribals of the area after the meeting in which Hynniewta was killed.
KSU alleges that it was a planned attack on them because they have been opposing CAA even since it was passed by the Parliament in December 2019. KSU is also demanding implementation of ILP under which an Indian citizen requires permit to enter the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur.
KSU’s general secretary Readyon Nongrum said that non-tribals were armed with sticks and knives, indicating it was very much planned. This is also very much visible on videos, he said.
Hynniewta is survived by four children.
A total of eight persons-five Bengalis and three Manipuris-have been arrested in connection with the death of Hynniewta’s killing and attack of KSU members.
Meanwhile, the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has issued an ultimatum to all the Hindu Bengalis to leave Ichamati and Majai at Shella, 86 kms from Shillong, in East Khasi Hills immediately.
