SHILLONG: Former Meghalaya Chief Minister and senior opposition leader Dr. Mukul Sangma has sharply criticized the state government for its handling of the unrest sparked by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Black Flag Bike Rally, which resulted in widespread property damage and injuries to commuters.
Dr. Sangma attributed the escalation to the government’s persistent insensitivity toward critical issues raised by civil society groups.
Dr. Sangma accused the administration of a complete failure in intelligence gathering and anticipation, stating that the state possesses ample administrative and intelligence resources to assess risks and anticipate fallout before permitting mass demonstrations.
He lamented the absence of public advisories and preventive measures, calling it a breakdown of administrative responsibility that left citizens exposed.
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Addressing the tensions spilling over to the interstate border—particularly near Khanapara—Dr. Sangma cautioned against interpreting the violence as ethnic or inter-community conflict.
He urged all stakeholders and the public to recognize that the crisis stemmed from governance failure, not communal friction, and warned that sensationalizing the incident on social media risks harming Meghalaya’s reputation and long-term stability.
Dr. Sangma also dismissed the government’s standard response that “the law will take its own course” as an inadequate platitude used to evade accountability.
He called for urgent, competent intervention, activation of state intelligence systems, and a recalibration of governance priorities to restore peace and stability in Meghalaya.
(4FrontMedia news)
