Why Meghalaya is tense after a former militant's death

Stone pelting, vandalism and arson rocked Shillong on August 15.

Shillong remains under curfew until August 18 over violence that erupted in the Meghalaya capital on Independence Day in connection with the death of Cherishterfield Thangkhiew, a former militant, in a police operation.

Thangkhiew, the General Secretary of the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), was killed on August 13. Police alleged that he was involved in recent  IED explosion in Meghalaya, including one in Shillong last week in which two people were injured.

The sequence of events that unfolded after the killing led to the resignation of state’s Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s government has, in the meantime, called for a probe into the incident as the situation remains tense amid deployment of central paramilitary forces in the Meghalaya capital.

How did the violence erupt?

Tension started brewing in Shillong city on August 13 after the killing of Cheristerfield Thangkhiew by police in his residence in the city's Mawlai area. The situation turned unruly when a police vehicle was attacked on next day. It went out of control after Thangkhiew’s burial on August 15, attended by hundreds of people. Thangkhiew’s family called his killing a ‘cold blooded’ murder.

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In no tome, the situation went out of control. Masked protesters, brandishing black flags, attacked vehicles and indulged in stone-pelting and arson, according to reports. The protestors also seized a police vehicle and drove around brandishing the seized weapons. Two petrol bombs were reportedly hurled at Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s home in Upper Shillong. Considering the breakdown of law and order, the administration ordered curfew from 8 pm on August 15 till 5 am on August 17, only to be extended by 24 hours.

The Meghalaya Human Rights Commission said the case appeared to have resulted in gross human rights violation. The government has ordered a probe into the incident.

Who was Cherishterfield Thangkhiew?

Cherishterfield Thangkhiewm, 57 was the co-founder of HALC, first major separatist militant tribal organisation of Meghalaya, formed in the mid-1980s. The HALC later split into HNLC and the Achik Matgrik Liberation Army which was subsequently replaced by the Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC). HNLC called for strikes and boycott calls on Independence Day in early 2000s. Reports, however, said that since 2000, HNLC’s funding reduced. Many reports said that since militancy has been declining in Meghalaya over the years, HNLC wanted to talk with the government but on certain terms and conditions.

What do the police say?

In October 2018, police said, Thangkhiew had surrendered. But, they said, he had again become active in the last six months and was involved in two recent low-intensity blasts in Khliehriat, East Jaintia Hills in July, and in Shillong’s Laitumkhrah market last week. Police said he was part of a plan for another blast.

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Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP), R Chandranathan told media that the police had raided Thangkhiew’s residence on August 13 to arrest him in connection with a recent IED blasts. He said Thangkhiew pulled out a knife and tried to attack the personnel, who in turn opened fire in self-defence. Thangkhiew sustained bullet injury and died on way to the hospital.

The political impact?

Meghalaya Home Minister Rymbui, who belongs to the United Democratic Party (UDP), an ally of CM Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP), resigned after the violence. UDP demanding judicial probe into the killing. Though Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said he was yet to take a decision, the resignation has put the government in a spot as it might impact the NPP-UDP alliance.

According to a report in Shillong Times, Rymbui took the decision following a meeting which was attended by UDP president, Metbah Lyngdoh, the two UDP working presidents, Paul Lyngdoh and Titosstarwell Chyne, UDP chief adviser, Bindo Mathew Lanong and two UDP Ministers — Kyrmen Shylla and H Brolding Nongsiej. The UDP president said that the party endorsed the decision of Rymbui to step down as Home Minister.

In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress that was in power in Meghalaya for the past 10 years, emerged as the single largest party winning 21 assembly seats. Conrad K Sangma’s NPP bagged 20 seats and the UDP, part of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance, got six seats. Thus the NPP, the BJP, the PDF, the HSPDP and an independent came together to form the non-Congress government in the 60-member assembly with Conrad Sangma as the Chief Minister.

(With inputs from agencies)

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