Meghalaya violence over CAA: Three dead, tourists stranded

A 37-year-old man died after being attacked by three "unknown miscreants" in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district at around 2.45 am on Sunday while violence continued in Shillong and elsewhere.

This took the death toll to three in the violence that the state witnessed since Friday following a conflict over an anti-CAA rally.

Police said unknknown miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at 9.30 pm on Saturday at the residence of Lakshmi Bareh at Pynthorbah in Shillong. But no one was injured in the attack.

Several "non-tribals" who work as carpenters fled their homes at Umtrew in Ri-Bhoi district and took shelter in the jungles after some youths went to their area in a bus at around 3:15 am. They were brought back to their homes by police.

Parts of Meghalaya witnessed violence since a member of the influential Khasi Students' Union (KSU) was killed on Friday afternoon under Shylla police station in East Khasi Hills district. The violence broke out soon after an anti-CAA public meeting organised by KSU. Police said a scuffle broke out between Khasi students and some "non-locals" after the meeting at Ichamati. The angry Khasi students' union members burnt a haystack and pelted stones at the residence of "non-locals" and when they retaliated a member of the Khasi students' union died.

This spilled the violence to the state capital Shillong in which at least seven "non-local" persons were stabbed by a youth on Saturday in which one died.

The administration clamped curfew and imposed restriction on use of mobile internet and SMS service in at least six districts in order to contain the violence.

Tourists stranded:

The state government opened a toll-free number (1800-345-3846) for tourists stranded in Cherapunjee (Sohra), Shillong or any other places nearby, who will be provided free transportation. Two buses will be made available to carry the tourists out of the state. Meghalaya, including Shillong, a hills station is a tourists' attraction

Why the violence?

The KSU is opposed to the CAA and demands introduction of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Meghalaya in order to check "adverse impact" of the CAA on the state's tribal population. But sources said some persons, who support CAA got into an argument with the KSU members at Ichamati leading to the violence.

The Centre decided to keep the states having ILP and the areas administered under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution (autonomous) out of the CAA's ambit. Most parts of Meghalaya are under the Sixth Schedule but KSU and other organisations demands ILP in Meghalaya too like in Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Visitors from rest of the country are required to have a permit under the ILP.