Shillong, Nov 29: Well equipped with additional forces to deal with any emergency situation, the district administration of East khasi hills district of Meghalaya has geared up for the Saturday’s public rally organised by the pro ILP pressure Groups in Meghalaya capital Shillong.
“We have enough forces, additional forces are there and some more forces are on their way,” said Sanjay Goyal, east Khasi hills deputy commissioner.
The Districts administration is confident of maintaining law and order during the public meeting called by the pro-ILP groups at Students’ Field, Jaiaw on Saturday.
“We have adequate manpower but see in such situation adequacy is a subjectivity is a relative issue so it depends on the condition and situation is depend on that,” Goyal said.
East Khasi hills deputy commissioner Sanjay Goyal said that there are enough forces and equipment to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.
“some of the forces are coming from here and there
About the magistrate, Goyal said, “We will deploy all the Magistrate that is available with the district administration and that will be around 16 of them”
East Khasi hills deputy commissioner Sanjay Goyal granted permission to the pro Inner-Line Permit (ILP) ngos to hold a public meeting on Saturday at the Students’ Field in Jaiaw with a rider that they should shoulder the responsibility to ensure that unwanted elements and incidents do not come in conflict with the law of the land.
Goyal told reporters on Friday afternoon, “It is the responsibility of the organisers to ensure that unwanted elements do not disturb law and order.”.
Goyal said as holding public rally is a democratic right; he also added that the district administration expects that the norms of democracy will not be disturbed. He said, “Democratic rights should be respected and the onus of ensuring the exercise of this right in a democratic and peaceful manner ‘definitely’ lies with the organizations who are seeking permissions for such public meetings.”
The permission for hold the meeting has been granted between 11am to 3 pm.
Goyal also said that the organizers must ensure that weapon like knife, rods or any other lethal weapons are allowed to be taken inside the venue by anti-social elements which may vitiate the atmosphere inside or outside the venue that may lead to breach of law and order.
Goyal also warned that any untoward incident which may happen before, after and during the meeting leading to breach of peace and public tranquillity would be the sole responsibility of the organizers and they would be liable for legal action as per law.
Goyal also put conditions that the organizer should instruct the speakers in the meeting not to indulge in any inflammatory speech with a mala-fide intention to incite the crowd which may lead to communal unrest and breach of peace and public tranquillity. He said, “We have directed the organizer to strictly ensure that there should not be any disruption to normal flow of vehicular traffic and pedestrians including the school and college going students.”
After the meeting Goyal said the organisers must ensure that crowd dispersed peacefully from the venue without holding any procession. He categorically said, “Procession of any kind will not be allowed before or after the public meeting.”
After resorting to agitating mode, this is for the first time that the members of the various pressure groups are coming out for a public rally. For past three months, Meghalaya is experiencing a series of shutdowns, night road blockades and picketing of offices since Sep 2 after the breakdown of talks between the government and protesting groups on the ILP issue. Several cases of arson were reported in East Khasi Hill districts in last few days.
Fourteen organisations include the Khasi Students’ Union, the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia, Garo People and the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front are demanding the introduction of the Inner Line permit (ILP) system, the absence of which, they say, would lead to the number of people entering Meghalaya getting out of control, given the state’s proximity to Bangladesh and Assam. (SP News)
