KHLIEHRIAT: High drama and severe commotion unfolded outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in East Jaintia Hills today when a massive rally organized by residents of Elaka Nongkhlieh turned violent, leaving at least two people injured.
The residents had gathered en masse to publicly declare their full support for the upcoming public hearing scheduled for May 22 regarding the proposed limestone mining project by Shree Cement Limited at Lumsyrman, Elaka Nongkhlieh.
The tense situation escalated into violence because the Deputy Commissioner, Manish Kumar, had previously issued a strict order prohibiting any form of agitation or protest in the vicinity of the office.
Marching all the way from Sookilo to the Deputy Commissioner’s office while carrying placards in support of the public hearing, the crowd found the main gates of the DC’s office locked upon their arrival. Determined to enter, a section of the crowd attempted to break through the gates, sparking intense chaos.
The gathered public kicked at the main gates and aggressively tore down the fencing of the office boundary wall in an attempt to force their way into the office campus.
This triggered a severe confrontation, forcing the police personnel deployed at the site to resort to a lathi-charge to control the unruly crowd and disperse those instigating the violence. Two individuals, identified as Albinus Langstang and Syrpailin Sukhlain, sustained injuries during the melee.
The public hearing, scheduled to take place on May 22, has been officially called by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB). The primary objective of the hearing is to listen to and officially record the views, opinions, and sentiments of the local community regarding the limestone mining and extraction proposal submitted by Shree Cement Limited.
It may be mentioned that this particular project has polarized the region. On May 20, just a day prior to this incident, an opposing faction comprising local residents and various pressure groups, including the Jaintia National Council (JNC) and the Jaintia Students Union (JSU), had also marched to the DC’s office to stage a fierce protest demanding the cancellation of the proposed public hearing.
