Guwahati: A black-flag bike rally organised by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) descended into violence across several parts of Shillong on Wednesday, leaving multiple civilians injured and a trail of damaged vehicles, vandalised public property and heightened political tensions.
The protest was organised to press the Meghalaya government over what the KSU described as its continued indifference towards the union’s five-point charter of demands. What began as a symbolic demonstration quickly escalated, with incidents of violence reported from Polo, Barik and Mawlai.
Several vehicles, most of them government-owned, were attacked during the rally. A police escort vehicle had its windows smashed, while a National Informatics Centre vehicle was damaged at Barik. Multiple private and government vehicles were also vandalised, and a government vehicle parked at the Food Corporation of India premises in Mawlai was set ablaze.
Public property was not spared either. The glass enclosure protecting the statue of Swami Vivekananda at RR Colony, installed earlier this year by the RR Colony Welfare Society, was damaged during the unrest.
Earlier in the day, KSU members staged a brief protest outside the Main Secretariat, where they erected banners accusing the state government of corruption and favouritism in public recruitment. Police removed the banners within minutes and reinforced security around the Secretariat as tensions mounted.
One of the banners captured the frustration driving the agitation: “We study hard, we pass, but at the end of the day jobs are given to those who can bribe.”
Wednesday’s rally came after two days of public meetings held by the KSU across Shillong, following the expiry of a 15-day ultimatum the union had issued to the government.
At the heart of the agitation is the KSU’s opposition to the public hearing for the proposed Shree Cement project in East Jaintia Hills, held on July 31. The union has alleged that the hearing was pre-arranged and has demanded action against the Deputy Commissioner, the Superintendent of Police, senior police officials and officers of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board for allegedly preventing meaningful public participation.
Beyond the cement project, the KSU’s charter seeks stronger safeguards for indigenous communities. It has called for full implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016 until an Inner Line Permit system is introduced, with facilitation centres at all 18 entry points to Khasi and Jaintia Hills and verification of visitors to be carried out through the Dorbar Shnong.
The union has also demanded immediate enforcement of the amended Meghalaya Migrant Workmen Act, reforms in recruitment at NEIGRIHMS including adequate reservation for Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities, and the abolition of interviews for Grade B, C and D government posts in favour of transparent, standardised recruitment procedures.
As authorities assessed the extent of the damage, security remained tightened across Shillong, while the KSU signalled that its agitation would continue until the government responded to its demands.