Shillong: Meghalaya Police tightened security outside the Shillong Press Club on Thursday, just hours before a scheduled press conference by Bramachari Mukundanand to address the group’s campaign against cow slaughter.
Security measures were heightened as members of the Hynñiewtrep Youth Council (HYC) gathered to protest the event, which was set to focus on the group’s upcoming ‘Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra.’
The Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati of Jyotirmath’s Gau Dhwaj Sthapana aimed to promote nationwide ban on cow slaughter, is scheduled to run from September 22 to October 26. The group also planned to declare cows as the “Mother of the Nation” during an event in Shillong on October 2.
However, the press conference was cancelled at the last minute. Shillong Press Club (SPC) president Deimaia L Siangshai announced the cancellation, stating that the leader who was supposed to address the media had not arrived.
HYC President Roy Kupar Synrem, addressing reporters, stated that their intention was to question the motives behind the group’s visit. Synrem highlighted that the group had previously campaigned in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland against cow slaughter, raising concerns among the local populace.
“The intention of these people to come to the press club is to announce the date of the rally. So, we want to ask them what their intention is and why they have come to Meghalaya when they know that the majority of the people consume beef and we don’t regard cows or dogs as our mother or sisters,” he said.
The HYC leader further urged the State government to refuse permission for the rally, warning that it could incite disharmony among Meghalaya’s diverse communities and religious groups.
“We don’t want these people from outside to come and sow the seed of hatred in Meghalaya. If you want to take this message (cow slaughter ban) you can do so in other states. If the Meghalaya government allows the rally, we will also hold a beef eating festival on the streets of Shillong,” Synrem warned.
Through a press communiqué, the Shillong Press Club expressed concern over the events that unfolded outside its premises on September 12, around 1 pm. It said that members of the HYC and State Police personnel were gathered in anticipation of a scheduled press conference by Bramachari Mukundanand, representative of Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranda Saraswati.
The Shillong Press Club emphasised that it is an independent and neutral entity, welcoming individuals and groups from all backgrounds—irrespective of race, caste, creed, community, culture, or religion—to hold press conferences on any topic.
The presence of police and NGO members, to them, undermined the Club’s authority and integrity, with some blaming the Club for the cancellation of the press conference. The Club clarified that the press conference was cancelled by the organisers (Bramachari Mukundanand) at the last minute, not by the Press Club.
After a brief discussion with the SPC President, HYC leaders explained their presence was to oppose the organisation’s reported plan to hold a rally in Shillong—the Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra to declare the cow as the “Mother of the Nation.” However, the Club clarified that it should be noted that this was merely an assumption, as no such mention was made in the letter sent to the Press Club.
The Shillong Press Club said it does not issue formal written approvals for press conferences. The President of the SPC had personally contacted the representatives of Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranda Saraswati to inquire about their delay. It said that allegations that the Club rejected the group’s request to hold a press conference was entirely unfounded.
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