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Friday, March 29, 2024

Rymbui rules out communal angle to assault incidents

SHILLONG:

Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Tuesday categorically denied any communal angle to the recent incidents assault in the Lumdiengjri and Jaiaw areas in the city and said police were investigating the matter.

Talking to reporters, he said any people try to paint each and every incident as communal. This is a very bad thing. Such incidents happen everywhere,  but assume a communal colour in Meghalaya, he said.

At least three people were injured when they were attacked by miscreants at Lumdiengjri area on January 20.

Subsequently, four labourers were also injured after they were beaten up by a group of over 25 miscreants while they were working at Dinam Hall in Jaiaw on Monday evening.
“Once we paint anything in communal color, criminals will take refuge in that and it is like emboldening them to do anything,” he added.

He said “police are investigating the incidents. I am hopeful they will be able to identify and nab the culprits,” Rymbui said.

He, however, said while a case has been registered in connection with the Lumdiengjri incident, there has been none on the Jaiaw incident.

He said police have been able to  solve many cases. Active participation of the people besides presence of  CCTVs in private residences help the police in identifying the culprits.
He further assured that the police are taking steps to ensure safety and security of each and every citizen and called for the cooperation of to ensure such incidents do not recur.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ampareen Lyngdoh echoed Rymbui saying one cannot just give a “communal taint” to the sporadic incidents of attacks on non-tribals in the city.

“We cannot comment on whether or not these incidents are actually being driven by communal disharmony. The police are investigating so it is dangerous to even comment on such situations and we will wait for the police report,” Lyngdoh said.

The CLP leader also said that it is very important for communities to understand that the pinch is being felt across the board.

“It is not just one lobby of citizens that is facing this insecurity and wanting to ventilate. Communal harmony is very important for a state to be able to progress,” she added.

She said the police have to present themselves as a more responsible agency otherwise if these stray incidents are allowed to flare up there are chances of an unrest that will be neither understood by most of the citizens nor will it do any good to the state.

She said that right now everybody is feeling the pressure of loss of livelihood and the government itself trying to help people to rebuild their lives. Meanwhile, the United Democratic Party (UDP) on Tuesday asked the state government to ensure the safety and security of each and every citizen in the state.

“It is important for the government and the law enforcers to be alert as safety and security of citizens irrespective of any community should be the top most priority of the government,” UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh told reporters here.

Stating that the government should not allow these spurts of incidents to continue, Mawthoh warned that “if such things are not nipped in the bud, then others will take advantage and do whatever they like and get scot free, so I don’t think this should be tolerated.”

Urging people to refrain from painting a communal picture to such incidents, the UDP leader said even locals have also been beaten up by people from other communities.
Adelbert, Rapsang condemn attacks.

North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum and his West Shillong counterpart Mohendro Rapsang have condemned the the incident at Lumdiengjri on January 20 where some persons were attacked by unidentified miscreants.

However, Nongrum said that the protest by the elderly couple at Khyndailad against the frequent attacks on non-tribal community since 1979 has sent a wrong message.

Nongrum also said that it was not advisable to blame a single community for the incidents.
He called upon the citizens of the state not to pinpoint a community without having proof.
The North Shillong MLA said that he believes that the police will do the needful and after probing the matter the truth will be known.

He also hoped that the non-tribals, who are permanent residents of the state, along with the indigenous tribes would work together and tactfully overcome any problem so that peace and harmony remain.

He also said that it was the wish of everyone that the state flourishes in all aspects through cooperation among all communities.

Nongrum also said that the citizens should be alert to see that things do not go out of hand due to such sporadic incidents.

“There should not be hatred among us and there should not be any sense of insecurity,” the North Shillong legislator said.

He also said that the neither the governments — both present and past — nor the autonomous district councils have been able to protect eitherthe indigenous tribals or the bonafide non-tribal citizens of the state.

He also said that all stakeholders should take collectively responsibility so that such incidents are not repeated.

“Being a Khasi we should not alleged that non-tribals are involved or being non-tribals we should not simply allege that Khasis are involved,” Nongrum added.

Rapsang said that the incident happened next to a police station.

“Overall I blame the police department for not taking care of the citizens of the state especially in my constituency,” the Congress MLA added.

Rapsang requested the police to arrest those involved in the incident so that it is not repeated again.

He expressed concern that such attacks like stone pelting, stabbing on non-tribal community is happening too frequently in his constituency.

The MLA said that such attacks are happening frequently because the police are not doing much to curb such incidents.

According to Rapsang the non-tribals are soft targets and always bear the brunt of the attacks.

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