Assam Meghalaya Border Violence: Friday marks the fourth day of restrictions on passenger vehicle movement to Meghalaya from Jorabat in Assam.
Even though heavy vehicles such as trucks and other similar vehicles carrying food and essentials are permitted to travel along the route, restrictions remain in place, particularly for Assam-registered smaller vehicles such as cars and two-wheelers as a security measure.
The restrictions have been in place since November 22, the day of the shooting incident in Mukroh village in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills.
Five Meghalaya residents were killed in an Assam Police shooting in which Assam forest guards also took part.
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Since then, two arson incidents have been reported in Shillong, Meghalaya’s capital city. On November 22, an Assam-registered vehicle was set ablaze in Shillong, and yesterday evening, a traffic booth and a city bus were attacked near the busy Civil Hospital junction in the city’s heart.
It is also reported that on November 23, drivers from Meghalaya were forced to disembark passengers in the middle of the journey because commercial vehicles travelling from Shillong were denied entry into Assam and were stopped at Jorabat.
Speaking to reporters, a few of the drivers expressed their grief and concern about the situation following the Mukroh incident, stating that if things continue as they are, they will face hardships in the coming days.
The drivers also stated that due to the restrictions imposed, they will be forced to raise taxi fares, which will undoubtedly affect passengers, but they will have no choice and urged both the state governments of Meghalaya and Assam to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
Conrad Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, said Thursday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured him that he will act on his request for a central agency to investigate “firing by Assam Police” along the state’s border.
During his meeting with Mr. Shah, he also demanded justice for the lives lost in the shooting and action against those responsible, he told reporters in New Delhi.
The delegation briefed Amit Shah on the killing of six people by Assam Police on Tuesday in Mukroh, West Jaintia Hills.
Following the meeting, Conrad K Sangma tweeted that the union home minister agreed to launch an investigation into the killing of Mukroh by a central agency.
