Street protests compel Meghalaya govt to order probe into Thangkhiew’s death
Guwahati: Street protests along with stone pelting, vandalism on police vehicles, etc by a group of people in Shillong
during the 75th Independence Day celebrations on Sunday compelled the Meghalaya government to order a judicial probe into the mysterious
death of a former militant leader in a police encounter on 13 August. It may be mentioned that when the entre north-eastern region observed
the I-day functions, disturbing news broke from Scotland of the East, where the authority later imposed curfew and also restricted the
mobile internet services from 6 pm in the districts of East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi.
Miscreants who appeared in various parts of Shillong by noon even lobbed a petrol bomb at State chief minister Conrad Sangma’s private
residence, though he along with his family safe as they now live at the government bungalow. Later State home minister Lahkmen Rymbui
resigned citing the reason that rebel leader Cherishterfield Thangkhiew was killed with the police highhandedness.
The situation turned violent as hundreds of people wearing black clothes and carrying back flags joined in a funeral procession of
Thangkhiew, the former secretary of armed separatist outfit Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), which wants to make
Meghalaya a sovereign country out of India. The surrendered HNLC leader was killed during a police encounter on
Friday morning in Shillong as the police claimed that his house at Mawlai-Kynton Massar area was raided in connection with some recent
blasts. Thangkhiew (56) was reportedly killed in retaliatorily actions of the police personnel as he attacked the team with a knife.
One of the founding members of HNLC, the first militant outfit of Meghalaya floated in 1997, Thangkhiew was instrumental in opening at
least six training camps in Sylhet and Maulabibazar locality of Bangladesh. He himself was hiding there till he came back to surrender
in October 2018. The police claim to have evidences about his involvement with a recent blast at Laitumkhrah area of Shillong.
Various organisations and political parties including the State unit of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which is an ally to Sangma led
National People’s Party (NPP) government in Shillong, condoled the death of Thangkhiew. In a media statement, the saffron party leaders
termed his death an irreparable loss to the family and they also prayed for eternal peace of the soul.Previous Post
