5 injured as mob attacks Meghalaya chief minister's office

Five security guards reportedly sustained injuries when a mob attacked Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma in his office at Tura on Monday evening. Sangma is reported to be unharmed.

However, with the mob continuing to encircle the compound, the chief minister was still trapped inside his office in Tura at the time of writing this report.

Civil society organisations from the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya have been fasting to push their demand that Tura should be declared the winter capital of the state.

On Monday evening, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Chief Minister’s office and began hurling stones, which is when trouble began. Five security personnel suffered injuries during the attack. They were taken into Sangma’s office for medical treatment.

According to media reports, while Sangma is unharmed, he is unable to leave the office because the entrance route has been blocked by the demonstrators.

The Meghalaya Chief Minister’s Office stated that although the situation is under control, it is tense. Sangma was reportedly speaking to the demonstrators when some people in the crowd started throwing stones.

“Discussions were going on, we had already agreed to meet in Shillong to further discuss the matter with all stakeholders, and the NGOs seemed more or less satisfied. A majority of the society and NGOs were not part of this fasting protest, only two-three of them were there. 90 per cent of the organisations weren’t part of this,” Sangma said in a video statement posted on social media.

“Even then, I believe that dialogue is important. Hence, I made a point to meet them. After the discussion was almost over, we heard sloganeering from outside. I asked them not to create any scene out here. Their leaders (of the NGOs in talks) went outside to speak to the people. They came back and said they did not know who these people were, never seen them before during the fasting protest,” he added.

ACHIK and GHSMC are two civil society organisations that have been pushing for Tura to become the winter capital. The protesters have been requested to gather so that Sangma can discuss their demands for the winter capital and employment reservations. Ministers from the cabinet and other participants will be present. Before negotiations can start in the state capital of Shillong next month, he asked the NGOs to put an end to their protest.