Shillong: A National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team visited Them ïew Mawlong here on Tuesday and recorded the statements of settlers and district officials.

Them ïew Mawlong is a market area and a part of ïewduh, the biggest market in Shillong.

Conservancy workers in various government departments, including the Shillong Municipal Board, reside at Them ïew Mawlong.

However, there are also settlers who are not government employees.

The NHRC team recorded statements of the Sikh community residing in the area and inspected some of their houses.

During the inspection, women residing in the area staged a protest against any move to relocate the settlers.

Later in the evening, the team met the district magistrate and police officials.

Sources said the NHRC sent the team after some Delhi-based organisations lodged a complaint with the NHRC, alleging that the move to relocate the settlers was a violation of human rights.

"The commission has asked us to come here. We will be here for three days," a team member said.

The team is also likely to take the statement of three persons who were assaulted at Them ïew Mawlong on May 31.

That morning, an exchange of words had taken place between a bus driver and a woman resident of Them ïew Mawlong over the parking of a bus. Subsequently, some residents assaulted the bus driver and two other persons. This triggered violence at nearby Motphran and Mawkhar areas.

The state government has also constituted a high-level committee to recommend a feasible solution, after examining all records and documents, on the pending demand to relocate settlers from Them ïew Mawlong, which is not a residential area. The committee is headed by deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong.

Under a directive from the committee, the Shillong Municipal Board sent six teams with three members each to Them ïew Mawlong on Tuesday to list the number of households and residents there but the move was not completely successful as the settlers did not cooperate. A majority of the houses were put under lock and key.

The exercise was part of the committee's bid to identify the number of legal and illegal settlers in the area.

The staff could only list the houses but could not take a headcount.

Board officials said 128 of its employees reside at Them ïew Mawlong.