Meghalaya: Toll in clashes rises to three, police urge citizens to exercise restraint
Uphas Uddin, 37, was attacked by three miscreants at his house in Pyrkhan village.
The toll in Meghalaya due to violent clashes over the inner line permit and amended citizenship law rose to three on Sunday, PTI reported. The third victim has been identified as 37-year-old Uphas Uddin of Pyrkhan village.
Uddin was attacked by three miscreants at his house, the Meghalaya Police said in a statement. He was taken to Khamati government hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. No one has been arrested so far in the killing of Uddin, Assistant Inspector General of Police Gabriel Iangrai told PTI.
Clashes between members of the Khasi Students Union and non-tribals in Ichamati area of Meghalaya’s East Khasi hills district broke out on Friday. The earlier two deceased were identified as Rupchand Dewan and Lurshai Hynniewta. On Saturday, another person, 21-year-old Akash Ali, was assaulted by a group at Jaiaw, Langsning. Eight persons have been arrested in connection with Saturday’s violence under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention to Damage of Property Act.
“We request citizens to exercise restraint and do not believe unverified information,” the Meghalaya Police tweeted on Sunday. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has also appealed to citizens to refrain from any kind of violence and ensure that peace is maintained. He announced ex gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
Night curfew in Shillong was lifted at 8 am on Sunday except for areas under the jurisdiction of Lumdiengjri and Sadar police stations and Cantonment Beat House, PTI reported. The curfew was imposed since 9 pm on Saturday. On Friday, prohibitory orders were issued in Shillong and adjoining areas, and mobile internet services were snapped in six districts.
The Inner Line Permit, a document required by foreigners or non-local Indian citizens to enter places designated “protected areas”, is a long-standing demand of tribal groups in Meghalaya. In the North East, it currently applies to Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and most of Nagaland. The Citizenship Amendment Act, which provides citizenship to refugees of six minority communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, provided they have entered India on or before December 31, 2014, will not apply to the areas under Inner Line Permit.
In 2013, protests demanding that the permit be made applicable to Meghalaya turned violent, killing four.