Assam–Meghalaya Tensions Rise After Shillong Violence
Tensions along the Assam–Meghalaya border escalated on Thursday after taxi and commercial vehicle drivers in Assam blocked traffic at Khanapara and Jorabat, protesting alleged attacks on Assam-registered vehicles during the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) “Black Flag” rally in Shillong.
The protest followed violent incidents reported in Shillong on Wednesday evening, where several vehicles were allegedly damaged and motorists and passengers were assaulted. The Assam State Drivers’ Association claimed that Assam-registered vehicles were singled out during the unrest, with some drivers and passengers sustaining injuries.
The association has demanded an apology from Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira, along with compensation for those affected. It has also sought a written assurance from the Meghalaya government regarding the safety of Assamese drivers and vehicles travelling through Meghalaya.
Association president Dhrubaraj Axom said attacks on Assam vehicles in Meghalaya had occurred in the past and called for stronger action to prevent such incidents.
Tourist driver Amar Das, who claimed to have witnessed Wednesday’s violence, alleged that attackers checked vehicle registration numbers before targeting Assam vehicles. He said several passengers were injured when stones shattered vehicle windows.
The drivers’ association, however, stressed that its protest was against violence and not against the people of Meghalaya. It appealed for the longstanding relationship between the people of Assam and Meghalaya not to be affected by the incidents.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya Police detained three senior KSU leaders—president Raymond Kharjana, vice-president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet and general secretary Reuben Najiar—in connection with the alleged vandalism and violence. Najiar had earlier denied the involvement of KSU members, claiming that “negative elements” had infiltrated the rally to disrupt the organisation’s agitation.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said incidents of stone-pelting, vandalism and assaults were reported from several parts of Shillong. Both government and private vehicles were allegedly targeted, while busts of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the Relief and Rehabilitation Colony were also vandalised.
Police have booked the three KSU leaders under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in connection with alleged damage to public property, assaults and other offences.
The KSU’s Black Flag rally was organised as part of its agitation over a five-point charter of demands, including implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, reforms in recruitment through the Meghalaya Public Service Commission and District Selection Committees, and tighter regulation of migrant workers.
With the drivers’ blockade affecting traffic between Assam and Meghalaya, authorities now face the challenge of restoring normal movement while preventing the situation from further straining relations between the neighbouring states.
