Shillong: Close to 200 villagers of Mawkynrew village on Monday rallied to destroy the Ramakrishna Mission School in Mawkynrew which is currently under construction.
Four security personnel and two civilians sustained minor injuries during the chaos.
The District Magistrate of East Khasi Hills, R.M. Kurbah, imposed a curfew in areas under Mawkynrew village following reports of vandalism at the Ramakrishna Mission School in Mawkynrew.
The conflict traces back to a dispute over the school’s construction. While the land belongs to two villages, Mawlein and Mawkynrew, the new dorbar or village council of Mawkynrew opposes granting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the school’s construction. This contradicts the decision of the previous Mawkynrew dorbar, which had approved the NOC, a stance still supported by Mawlein village.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem, reported that the situation is under control, with an additional 30 personnel deployed to maintain peace in the area.
“Yesterday, the village executive committee convened a meeting, instructing all villagers to gather at 9 a.m., with implements, with the intent of dismantling the new school under construction. Early this morning, a police team promptly intervened and prevented a group of approximately 200–250 people from advancing towards the school,” said Syiem
He added that there was a minor skirmish, resulting in injuries to four women personnel and two members of the public. A curfew has been imposed, and a mild lathi charge was necessary to disperse the crowd. A small amount of tear gas was also deployed.
“A strong contingent of police has been stationed in the area to secure the site. Additionally, a case will be registered against the leaders who incited the crowd to gather and attempted to vandalize the school,” stated the SP.
Mawkynrew MLA keeps reporters waiting, then disappears
Mawkynrew MLA, Banteidor Lyngdoh, left few reporters waiting in his chamber, promising to provide a statement but ultimately failed to return. Sources suggest that the MLA is in a difficult position, as making any comment could alienate a significant portion of his voter base from the village. This could pose a major setback for the upcoming Member of District Council elections, in which his wife is one of the candidates.
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