GUWAHATI: An uneasy calm prevailed in pine city of Shillong the capital town of Meghalaya with curfew still on in many localities as banned militant organisation HNLC threat to carry out mass bloodshed of Hindu Bengalis residing in the state adding a new tense dimension to the already simmered situation.
In three days of sporadic violence so far three persons have lost their lives with more than 10 persons still battling for life in different hospitals in the state.
The banned militant organisation HNLC, on Sunday issued an ultimatum to all the Hindu-Bengalis to leave Ichamati and Majai areas at Shella in East Khasi Hills -the flashpoint of the current violence.
“If they fail to do so by not complying to our ultimatum then we shall not be made responsible in case of any eventuality. This time it shall be a mass bloodshed,” said HNLC general secretary-cum-publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw in a statement issued on Sunday.
A Khasi youth, identified as Lurshai Hynniewta,35, a resident of the Shora who had participated in the Anti CAA and ILP protests was allegedly attacked by non tribals residing in the area leading to his death.
As a retaliatory response to this incident, violence spread across the state with miscreants having a field day as in capital town Shillong 10 non tribal people were stabbed in different parts of the state in last two days.
And it looks like it’s not over yet, with influential Khasi Students Union which is spearheading the agitation against CAA and implementation of ILP in the state has threatened to intensify their agitation.
The beautiful state of Meghalaya, known as the `Scotland of East’, since its inception as separate state in 1972 has a chequered past when it comes to ethnic conflicts and every time it’s the non tribal population which comprises mostly of Bengali, Nepali and Marwari and Hindi speaking people who were at the receiving end.
The non tribal population in Meghalaya has drastically reduced over the years. In 1972 the tribal and non tribal ratio in the state was in the 80:20 ratio which now stands at 90:10 ratio.
But still with such less numbers the centre point of Meghalaya politics is revolving around non tribal’s presence in the state. Time and again since last two decades non tribals has been subjected to vicious cycle of violence both by state and non state actors.
It all began in the year 1979 when leaders tried to eke out political space for them gave a violent push to the locals versus non locals issue. In first such ethnic cleansing several non tribal’s lost their lives but it’s not very well documented. Since than KSU led anti foreigner “outsider” agitation has taken many lives in 1987, 1992 and thereon.
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