SHILLONG: The recent spate of violence targeting non-tribals in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district has sparked outrage and calls for action from various organisations.
Adding their voice to the growing chorus against hate crimes in the state, the Meghalaya Linguistic Minority Development Forum (MLMDF) has strongly condemned the recent incidents and called for a thorough investigation by either the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The MLMDF demanded justice for the killings of non-tribal labourers in Shillong’s Mawlai Mawroh on April 10 and in Ichamati on March 27.
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According to a statement by the MLMDF on Thursday, the MLMDF called for adequate compensation for the families of the deceased and free medical treatment for the injured victims.
Earlier on April 10, a group of masked assailants brutally attacked Arjun Ray (52), a resident of Meghalaya, at a construction site in Mawlai Mawroh, resulting in his death.
Two others, Rajaram Mahato and Suresh Kumar Mahato, were also assaulted but managed to escape with injuries.
The MLMDF expressed deep concern over the rising incidents of violence targeting the non-tribal Hindu community in the region.
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Additionally, two other organisations, the Bongo Bhashi Mahasabha Foundation (BBMF) based in Greater Noida, and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), have written to President Droupadi Murmu urging immediate action against the perpetrators of these crimes.
Like the MLMDF, they too have call for a thorough investigation by a central agency and stringent punishment for those responsible.
The murder of Ray in Shillong’s Mawali marks the third death of a non-tribal individual in East Khasi Hills in the past 18 days, raising concerns nationwide about the safety and security of non-tribal residents in the region.
