Shillong, Oct. 27: The Meghalaya government today warned that no one should take the law into their hands, following the Khasi Students Union’s call for a third round of night road blockade and protests by pressure groups against uranium mining.
The KSU announced a fresh round of night road blockades starting at 8pm on Thursday to 5am the next day and again from 8pm on Friday to 5am the next day.
Meghalaya DGP Sibabrata Kakati today told mediapersons that the police would not allow the protesters to take the law into their hands. “I am not concerned about the issue of uranium mining per se. My concern is to maintain law and order,” he said.
Expressing concern over criminals taking advantage of the situation, Kakati said though the KSU was sponsoring the agitation, no one could blame the organisation for the law and order problems unless there was sufficient proof.
“One should look into the incidents to see whether they are committed by individuals. I have seen a lot of agitation in Assam sponsored by the All Assam Students Union, but the students’ body had no link with the violence perpetrated by vested interests,” Kakati said.
According to the DGP, there should be sufficient proof on the part of the police to blame an organisation for the violence.
Soon after his arrival last evening after a foreign trip, chief minister D.D. Lapang, who holds the home portfolio, assessed the situation after consulting senior government officials this morning.
During the previous KSU-sponsored night road blockade from October 14 to October 16 and again for three days from October 20 in East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts, criminals torched many government vehicles and offices.
The police have arrested 21 persons in connection with stone throwing and arson in the four districts. An official source said besides largescale destruction to public property, Lapang was also annoyed over the pressure groups, under the banner of the Co-ordination Committee of Social Organisations (CCSO), barging into the main secretariat to pin black badges on legislators, ministers and officials.
The KSU said it would not come forward for talks unless the government specified the agenda.
The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), Ri-Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF), West Khasi Hills Students Union (WKHSU) Jaintia Youth Federation (JYF) and War Jaintia Students Union (WJSU), under the banner of the the Co-ordination Committee of Social Organisations, entered the main secretariat and pinned black badges on the ministers, MLAs and officials who were present there on Friday.
Official sources said Lapang also expressed concern over the KSU’s refusal to come forward for talks.
The East Khasi Hills deputy commissioner, J. Lyngdoh, sent a letter to the KSU last week, calling them for talks.
The KSU, welcoming the talks offer, termed the official letter of the deputy commissioner as vague, as nothing was mentioned regarding whom the KSU would initiate talks with.
