Shillong: More than 1,000 lawyers marched through Shillong on Thursday. They want Advocate General Amit Kumar fired. The High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association and the Shillong Bar Association led the walk. The group moved from the High Court premises past the U Kiang Nangbah statue before looping back. Lawyers from Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills backed the movement.
Court work stopped across the Garo Hills. Sit-in protests erupted in Resubelpara, Ampati, Baghmara, Phulbari, Dadenggre, and Williamnagar. In Tura, over 250 lawyers gathered at 10 am. Most were women. They shouted, "Amit Kumar – Go back" at the Tura Sessions Court. Tura Bar Association president Devorsi G. Momin led the local group.
The legal fraternity is angry about Kumar’s remarks during court proceedings. He allegedly insulted women's safety in the Bar without proof. Lawyers also blasted Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma for calling the state lucky to have Kumar. High Court Bar Association secretary-general K.C. Gautam said, "This is the first time in history that lawyers of the state have come out onto the streets in such large numbers."
Protesters have raised alarms over several issues. They oppose hiring Delhi lawyers with public money. They question the appointment of Kumar’s son as a state panel advocate. They also dislike having an outsider in the top legal post. Tura Bar Association vice-president Paul Paske said the Advocate General fails to understand the state’s matrilineal structure. Secretary Brilliant Sangma confirmed the local groups want the same result as the capital. The lawyers plan to keep pushing until Kumar is replaced by someone who knows local laws.
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