Curfew re-imposed in Shillong as youth stabbed

Shillong: Curfew was reimposed curfew in the Meghalaya capital and adjoining areas on Thursday night even as a 21-year-old non-tribal youth was stabbed here by unidentified assailants, officials said.

East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Matsiewdor War Nongbri, after several hours of relaxation, reimposed the curfew from 9 p.m. in Shillong and its adjoining areas. The curfew would continue till 5 a.m. on Friday.

According to the police, the fresh incident of stabbing has brought further fear among the people, specially the non-tribals, as it occured after the normalcy is limping back to the Shillong city and adjoining areas. Police are yet to identify the attackers, who stabbed 21-year-old Sanidul Islam. The injured was shifted to the hospital.

The security forces continue to maintain a strict vigil for the past one week in different areas of the hill state following clashes over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP).

On Friday and Saturday, three people were killed and many injured in ethnic clashes and attacks by rival groups in East Khasi Hills district and adjoining areas.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma ordered an inquiry into these incidents. “A magisterial inquiry has been ordered. The district and police administration have ensured that enough security personnel were put in place in the affected areas,” he said.

Opposition Congress and other political parties have criticised the National People’s Party led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government for “its failure to deal with the ethnic situation”.

Following a massive agitations by various local groups and political parties, the Meghalaya Assembly on December 19 last year had unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the Centre to promulgate the ILP in the remaining areas of the state to keep the entire state out of the purview of the CAA, but the Union Home Ministry is yet to issue the statutory notification in this regard.

IANS