Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has defended the state government’s handling of the August 19 violence in Shillong, rejecting criticism that his absence from the city during the incident was a failure of governance. Sangma stated that his travel schedule had been fixed prior to the incident and he was on a flight when it occurred. He emphasized that the situation was closely monitored by the government’s senior leadership, including Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police, and other senior police officials.
Sangma maintained that decisions were being taken without any gap in the government’s response, citing the use of technology to stay in touch and discuss every aspect of the situation. He also rejected the Opposition’s allegation that the government was ‘sleeping’ despite an ultimatum and earlier protests by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU). According to Sangma, extensive communication was taking place behind the scenes, although meetings ahead of the rally could not be held.
The Chief Minister said the government had formally written to the KSU and invited its representatives for discussions, expecting a response and intending to discuss all five agendas raised by the KSU. However, he declined to disclose details, stating they were part of the government’s internal process.
Regarding demands from other NGOs and the United Democratic Party (UDP) to revoke the invocation of the Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act (MPDA) and Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order (MMPO) provisions against KSU leaders, as well as calls for their release, Sangma said the government would allow the law to take its course. He argued that the government cannot selectively change rules or interfere with legal proceedings because an organisation or individual is involved.
Sangma also rejected the description of the incident as an ‘intelligence failure’, stating that the authorities had intelligence and personnel deployed along the routes, but the scale and geographical spread of the incidents created significant challenges. He acknowledged that the scale of the violence was unprecedented and that five people had so far been identified, although he did not yet have information about their organisational affiliations.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the government is focused on restoring confidence among visitors and residents, addressing concerns over the impact of the violence on tourism. He acknowledged that the incidents had caused inconvenience and fear but said swift measures had been taken to prevent further escalation. Sangma expressed confidence that normalcy would return soon and called for coordinated confidence-building efforts involving the Meghalaya and Assam governments, organisations, tourism stakeholders, and other groups.
Sangma also appealed to civil society organisations, associations, and other stakeholders to learn from the incident and work towards preventing similar situations in the future. He reiterated that the government remains willing to engage in talks, but cautioned that there are limits that cannot be crossed. The Chief Minister warned that the government would take action against anyone who does so.
