SHILLONG:
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home, Prestone Tynsong, during the Autumn Session of the Meghalaya Assembly on September 19, told the House that it is crucial to recognize the complexities and challenges faced by law enforcement personnel when dealing with situations where the safety of innocent civilians, including women and children, is paramount.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to upholding the rule of law. and we remain dedicated to ensuring that those responsible for instigating violence are brought to justice,” Tynsong said.
On August 24, 2023, during the public hearing of the Meghalaya Cements Limited in Thangksai village in East Jaintia Hills, he was responding to a Special Motion to a discussion on police violence that had been made by Brightstarwell Marbaniang, a lawmaker for the Voice of the People Party from Mawlai.
According to Rule 7 of the Environment Impact Assessment Rules, 2006, there are four phases to the clearance procedure, and Stage III calls for “public consultation,” according to the Deputy Chief Minister in Charge of Home.
“Para (iii) of Stage III provides that the public hearing at, or in close proximity to, the site(s) in all cases shall be conducted by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) or the Union Territory Pollution Control Committee (UIPCC) concerned in the specified manner and forward the proceedings to the regulatory authority concerned within 45 days (forty-five) days of a request to the effect from the applicant,” he said.
He said that rigorous law and order preparations had been done in advance of the public hearing on August 24, 2023, and that the East Jaintia Hills District Superintendent of Police’s office had released a thorough operating plan.
He testified before the House that the officers and staff involved were given clear instructions to maintain calm throughout the proceedings, as well as to act courteously and professionally when dealing with members of the public and to use force only as necessary.
Tynsong told us that 78 police officers were briefed on the incident at TopCem Cement the morning of the public hearing before being sent to the scene.
“They were well-informed about their mandate, which primarily centered on maintaining law and order,” the Deputy Chief Minister in Charge of Home said.
He claims that on the mentioned day, a group of about 30 people from Thangksai hamlet, including women and children, gathered and sat at the cement plant’s main entrance, thus preventing vehicles and people from entering the plant.
He claimed that the number of people gradually increased despite the East Jaintia Hills police’s suggestion that only a small portion of his group attend the public hearing and publicly register their complaint.
After that, according to Tynsong, the villagers from Shiehruphi, Wahiajer, and neighboring Narpuh Elaka villages also gathered, increasing the total to about 150.
“Unfortunately, despite best efforts from the police department, the blockade persisted, impeding the flow of traffic,” he said.
The public hearing started as anticipated at roughly 10:55 am, the Deputy Chief Minister informed the House.
However, at 11:10 am, a throng at the TopCem gate broke into the company’s grounds after being incited by one person (name withheld) and several other enigmatic people.
“The police team then immediately intervened, attempting to prevent the situation from escalating. Regrettably, the mob employed a tactic that made the use of reasonable force exceedingly difficult: they used children and women as shields. This tactic prevented the police from taking decisive action to contain the crowd,” Tynsong said.
He claimed that while the mob used various tactics to enter the hearing place, including scaling the boundary walls of TopCem Cement, the situation only got worse.
He claimed that by midday the public hearing location had been fully vandalized, at which point it became clear that quick action was needed to stop additional damage and potential risk to those in attendance.
Tynsong claimed that despite the police’s continuous attempts to calm down the mob and persuade them to abstain from using force, the attempt to defuse the situation was only partially successful.
“At around 12:30 pm, in consultation with the officials present, a decision was made to relocate the public hearing to the Community Hall within the premises. The mob there was informed of this decision, and after negotiations, they agreed to march peacefully and protest near the new venue,” he said.
He reported to the House that despite numerous attempts to preserve order, things started to get violent at 1:30 pm.
According to him, the police continued to issue warnings and exhort the mob to disperse peacefully, but the mob persisted in their attempts to gain forcible entry into the second venue of the hearing with apparent intentions to harm life and property. He claimed that the mob then displayed aggressive behavior, attacking police officers with bamboo sticks, rods, and stones.
The police had no choice but to use proportionate force to disperse the violent mob, he told the House, considering the seriousness of the situation and the danger it posed to public safety.
The Deputy Chief Minister told the House that although 11 police officers were hurt while performing their duties, the violent crowd had been broken up by 3:15 p.m.
Additionally, he stated that following these incidents, a case was filed at the Lumshnong Police Station under the number 45(08)2023 under Sections 143/144/145/148/152 of the Indian Penal Code against one individual (name withheld) and other unidentified individuals who were incited to violence in connection with the incident.
“Legal proceedings are now underway. I must emphasize that, as of now, there have been no complaints from individuals who suffered injuries during the incident,” Tynsong said.