Photo Courtesy: nenow
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma visited R.R. Colony in Rynjah on August 29. He inspected a damaged bust of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the broken glass covering a statue of Swami Vivekananda. Vandals targeted both during a violent Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) black-flag motorcycle rally.
Sangma handed over 5 lakh rupees for the restoration work. He met with the local development committee to hear resident concerns. The Chief Minister declared that the state government will not tolerate such acts. "Visited R R Colony, Rynjah, to see the unfortunate damage caused to the bust of respected freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which was vandalised recently," Sangma posted after the visit.
The KSU rally, held to press student body demands, devolved into chaos across the city. Police confirmed 31 vehicles suffered damage during the unrest. A government vehicle went up in flames. Incidents occurred in Firebrigade, Nongmensong, Polo, Barik, and Mawlai.
The KSU claims unidentified miscreants infiltrated their rally to discredit the movement. Officials maintain that those responsible will face the law. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose first visited Shillong in 1927 and returned as Indian National Congress president in 1938. The RR Colony bust was installed on January 23, 2023.
Updated at 30th August 2026 at 1:48pm
The violence trace back to an August 19 black-flag bike rally. Witnesses reported the Netaji bust was yanked from its enclosure near the R and R Colony Welfare Society office, dumped on the road, and kicked. A rock shattered the glass housing the Swami Vivekananda statue at Vivekananda Park during the same spree.
The R and R Colony Welfare Society filed an FIR at the Rynjah police station following the destruction. The state Directorate of Arts and Culture stepped in on August 21 to coordinate the immediate restoration and re-installation of the Netaji statue. The society is managing the repairs for the Vivekananda monument in tandem with the department. Arts and Culture Minister Sanbor Shullai confirmed the government is footing the bill to restore both sites, citing the historical weight of both figures.
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