Shillong, Sept 25: The NGOs’ struggle in pressurizing the government to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) is gaining momentum with the two women organizations holding a sit-in-demonstration today at Students’ Field, Jaiaw.
The two organizations, Civil Society Women Organization (CSWO) and Khasi Women Welfare and Development Association (KWWADA) were supported by Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and other well wishers.
Many who spoke during the sit-in-demonstration including an 85 year old lady who expressed her fear for the future generation if influx is not checked.
Others who spoke include Morningstar Sumer and Edilbert Nongrum.
Speaking to this reporter CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said that the agitation will continue “until and unless ILP is implemented.”
Claiming that it is because of bad governance NGOs have sprung up as watch dogs Kharshiing said, “If there was good governance we would not be needed to come out.”
Later on at the end of the demonstration participants walked in crowds towards Motphran creating havoc by pelting stones at police personnel.
According to Superintendent of Police (EKH) Mariahom Kharkrang the police have used minimum number of force and have strictly ordered not to use any lathis since it was a women organization “as we thought that there will be no threat from the women folk.”
According to the SP, at around 3.15 pm they all dispersed in a peaceful manner but unfortunately some of them tried to instigate the crowd.
“We had no option but to stop them and we did meet with resistance; what was worse was the pelting of the stones wherein 5 female and one male police personnel were injured and rushed to the Civil Hospital.
The police personnel who were injured are GK Langrai, 2nd in-Command, 6th MLP Bn, WP/Sub-Inspector Meiissa.M Momin (31 years), H/C I Rabha (51 years), H/C P Lyngdoh (43 years), WP/BNC 828 B Thiate (24 years), and WP/BNC 821 AD Sangma (23 years).
Kharkrang further stated, “This indicates that the NGOs are out to provoke police to make mistakes so that they can make an issue out of it but I can say that they were not successful today in doing so.”
Stating that the police will be compelled to change its strategies in tackling the agitations in the future, Kharkrang said, “Even if they are women we will register cases against such acts of violating the law,” while adding that so far there has been “55 cases registered against members of NGOs agitating for implementation of ILP.”(SP News)
