By Our Spl Correspondent
TURA:
A large number of young men and women wearing dark jerseys, waving black flags and sloganeering on Saturday mobbed Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s convoy as he approached the Tura Chandmari field where the first artificial football turf was due to be inaugurated.
Despite a strong police presence, the protestors, who were initially lined up on one side of the road, less than 100 metres from the venue, suddenly broke through the police barrier on seeing the chief minister’s convoy approach.
They refused to allow the vehicles to pass through shouting “Go back” until police were able to push them back to the side of the road, thanks to some of the leaders of the groups calling for calm and directing the mob to step back.
Widespread protests directed at the chief minister in less than three days appear to have hastened the decision of the ruling NPP alliance to seek the resignation of CEM Rakesh A Sangma and appoint Albinush R Marak, on Saturday.
A series of gala events had been planned involving farmers’ programmes and interactions with the chief minister, beginning at South West Garo Hills from Thursday.
Instead, the chief minister came face to face with protesters in as many as four places.
Travelling to Salmanpara in South West for a farmers’ programme, the chief minister was greeted with placards and black flags by protestors at Betasing town on Thursday.
Another planned mega farmers’ programme at Dimapara under Gasuapara block of South Garo Hills on Friday witnessed a low turnout of people after protest groups called for a boycott of the chief minister’s programme.
This was followed by another protest at Dalu town, the same day, when the chief minister went to inaugurate the farmers’ welfare programme FOCUS. Angry protestors shouted slogans and waved black flags again asking the chief minister to go back.
Friday’s unfolding events quickly led to the announcement of CEM Rakesh A Sangma stepping down by next Monday, but this failed to placate the protest groups who announced that their agitation will continue until a new CEM is appointed.
Saturday’s incident was clearly an embarrassment for the chief minister and left many questions unanswered, one among which was the long time the ruling party took to end this crisis, allowing it to snowball into a serious law and order situation, and only waking up after the chief minister became the target of the protest groups.