Shillong: Meghalaya authorities triggered the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act on Thursday following a violent Khasi Students’ Union bike rally on Wednesday. The move follows widespread destruction of private property, public infrastructure, and government vehicles. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong confirmed no night curfew is planned, though he instructed police to increase patrols and utilize drones and CCTV to identify attackers.
Tynsong noted that the High Court of Meghalaya ordered the government to file an affidavit after its own parked vehicles were targeted during the unrest. Authorities previously granted permit for the rally based on peaceful conduct assurances. Tynsong noted, "But when you look at the rally, quite a number of boys had covered themselves and this attitude clearly shows that the intention was not for a peaceful rally but something else."
While the KSU declined an initial invitation for talks, Tynsong maintained that government doors remain open. Officials successfully cleared traffic blockades at Khanapara and Jorabat after intervention from the Chief Secretaries and DGPs of both states. Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui both called for restraint, warning against broader regional disharmony.
Other leaders weighed in on the chaos. Voice of the People Party chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit criticized both the anti-social elements and the government’s weak security deployment. Former MLA Jemino Mawthoh cited major administrative lapses. Meanwhile, the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People condemned the police’s use of tear gas near Robert Hospital, while Thma U Rangli’s Angela Rangad echoed calls for accountability.
Religious and community groups including the Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum and the Synjuk ki Nongsynshar Shnong ka Bri Hynniewtrep appealed for peace, specifically denouncing the use of tear gas in residential areas. Separately, the All India Forward Bloc demanded a judicial inquiry after statues of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda were vandalized during the violence.
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