Shillong: The Meghalaya Linguistic Minority Development Forum (MLMDF) has approached the Meghalaya High Court over recent incidents of violence and vandalism in Shillong, seeking stricter regulation of rallies, action against those responsible and restoration of damaged national icons.
The forum said it had filed a Letter Petition before the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court. Its demands include court-mandated standard operating procedures for rallies, a ban on face coverings that conceal protesters’ identities, seizure of unregistered vehicles before they enter protest routes, drone surveillance and an independent inquiry into alleged police lapses.
The MLMDF said peaceful protest was a democratic right but argued that demonstrations turning into “faceless mob violence” threatened public safety. It alleged that masked riders on unregistered two-wheelers had bypassed checkpoints during recent unrest and that residents, workers, tourists and commuters, including women and children, had been affected by stone-pelting and intimidation.
The forum also urged the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner to avoid routing rallies through densely populated, multi-community residential areas and called for stricter enforcement of existing SOPs and action against those responsible.
Separately, the MLMDF submitted a memorandum to Governor Chandrashekhar H. Vijayashankar, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal over the alleged desecration of busts of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda at R.R. Colony.
It sought a time-bound investigation by a senior officer and a ceremonial restoration of the Netaji bust, saying the move would affirm that “symbols of national pride cannot be diminished” through intimidation.
The forum has also launched an online petition addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Sangma, seeking intervention over the wider conflict and issues involving Meghalaya and neighbouring states.
