Curfew in Meghalaya's Mawkynrew village after villagers clash with police

Mawkynrew (Meghalaya): Curfew was imposed in Mawkynrew village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district following a clash between locals and the police, leaving at least 13 people injured, officials said on Tuesday.

The clash ensued after the villagers stormed the construction site of a school run by the Ramakrishna Mission on Monday, claiming that a plot of land belonged to a local sports club.

East Khasi Hills district SP Vivek Syiem told PTI that five police personnel, including 2 women, were injured after the villagers stormed the construction site. The other people, who sustained minor injuries, were villagers.

The police had to fire tear gas shells to pacify the crowd, he said.

East Khasi Hills district magistrate RM Kurbah promulgated curfew in the village on Monday to prevent convergence of 5 or more people near the site.

While the matter is currently sub-judice, police personnel were deployed at the site under the high court directive.

An elder from the village told PTI that the villagers from Mawkynrew and Mawlein did not intend to damage the ongoing construction but to reclaim a piece of land belonging to the Mawkynrew Sports Club which was "fraudulently" handed over to the RKM.

Authorities of the two villages endorsed handing over of the land in 2020 and 2021.

The club members, however, were unhappy with the decision and filed a case to reclaim the land.

"How can a plot of land allotted to the club in 2012 be allotted to another organisation? The villagers are against this fraudulent transfer of land," Club president Tanbor Suting claimed.

Asked about the mob attack on the site, he said probably people were angry because of the “delay in getting justice”.

They went to erect football goalposts at the site, Suting claimed.

An official of the RK Mission termed the incident as unfortunate.

He said the school helped the people of the area to get employment and education.