Clashes in Meghalaya over CAA: Toll rises to two, 10 injured; curfew reimposed in parts of Shillong, mobile internet suspended in six districts

-

Parts of Meghalaya remained tense after two were left dead and ten others injured in clashes between two groups in the past 24 hours over the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Fresh clashes were reported Saturday morning after the 10-hour curfew was lifted in Shillong, causing the curfew to be reimposed in parts of the town.

Representational image. Reuters

Representational image. Reuters

“The curfew was lifted at 8 am, and between 11:30 am and noon, clashes occurred in Bara Bazar area, a commercial centre where people from all communities gather for trade,” said Shillong SP Claudia Lyngwa. “Some were assaulted by unknown miscreants. Six were injured, one person succumbed to his injuries, two or three were seriously injured, and rushed to hospital. They are now out of danger. Immediately after, curfew was clamped in the two areas under Sadar PS and Lumdiengjri PS.”

Security has been tightened across the state with two companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) being deployed, and additional companies are scheduled to arrive, police said. Mobile internet services were suspended for 48 hours in six districts: East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, East Jaintia Hills and West Jaintia Hills district.

On Friday, a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) leader died in clashes that erupted during an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Inner Line Permit (ILP) implementation awareness rally in Ichamati. Curfew was imposed in Shillong, Sohra and Ichamati under East Khasi Hills district.

According to police, eight have been arrested from Ichamati in connection with the violence that killed one and injured several others. The deceased was identified as Lurshai Hynniewta, a member of KSU Sohra circle. Sources said he will be laid to rest on Sunday.

While Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has appealed for calm, a review meeting on law and order situation was convened by Meghalaya home minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Saturday with the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills district, top police officials and headmen of different localities. Senior Congress legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh said the government should also convene an all-party meeting to discuss the prevailing situation.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) along with other civil society organisations has condemned the attack on KSU members in Ichamati, and have appealed for peace. The KSU, which is a part of the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) had earlier announced of intensifying protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The influential Khasi students’ body had also expressed their disappointment over the unsatisfactory approach by the state government on the issue of ILP implementation in the state.

Much of Meghalaya that comes under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution has been exempted from the ambit of CAA. However, a resolution was passed in the Meghalaya Assembly in December for implementation of the ILP system. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma earlier said his government would continue to engage with the Centre “unless and until complete exemption and protection is provided to the people of the state”.



from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2Vz4lyK
Karishma Hasnat

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Both COVID-19 vaccine doses needed for good protection against B16172 variant

-
It’s been a concerning few weeks in the UK, with the B16172 variant first taking hold and then spreading to become dominant. This more infectious form of the virus, initially identified in India, is what we’re now going to have to live with – unless it is out-competed by another variant in the future. Worryingly, experts had predicted that B16172 might be able to escape some of the effects of vaccines, which if true would threaten to derail the UK’s plans to finish lifting restrictions from the end of June. However, Public Health England (PHE) has looked at the ability of various variants to evade immunity and says that the UK’s vaccines remain effective against the variants circulating, including B16172. On the surface, this looks like good news. But delve a bit deeper, and things get more complicated, says Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia. PHE’s research found a little drop-off in protection against B16172 among people who were fully vaccinated.
Read more

New coronavirus variant emerge in India: How should our COVID response change?

-
Image
After genome sequencing of over 10,000 COVID-19 cases in India, researchers have discovered a new variant with two new mutations which may be better at evading the immune system. In 15-20 percent of samples from the Indian state of Maharashtra (the state accounting for 62 percent of cases in the country) a new, double mutation in key areas of the virus has been detected. These are now known as the E484Q and L452R mutations. What makes the variant different? Both these mutations are concerning because they are located in a key portion of the virus – the spike protein – that it uses to penetrate human cells. Spike proteins attach via a “receptor binding domain”, meaning the virus can attach to receptors in our cells. These new mutations include changes to the spike protein that make it a “better fit” for human cells. This means the virus can gain entry more easily and multiply faster. Given what we have seen with other similar mutations , it might also make it harder for our immu
Read more

120 flights delayed, 30 trains running late; Delhi fog & cold wave continue to give shiver to travellers

-
Arrival and departure of 120 flights, both domestic and international, to Delhi airport were affected due to dense fog and cold wave conditions on Wednesday, according to Delhi Airport FIDS (Flight Information Display System). As per the Delhi Airport FIDS, a total of 53 flights, including 21 domestic arrivals, 16 domestic departures, 13 international departures and three international arrivals scheduled are cancelled and not operating due to fog and other operational reasons from and to Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the national capital on 17 January. #WATCH | Delhi: Several flight operations delayed at IGI airport due to low visibility amid fog. pic.twitter.com/hG1DUKllEt — ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2024 Visuals from the Delhi airport showed passengers waiting outside, checking update of their scheduled flights. There were also some people waiting for flight of their families, friends and loved ones to arrive, which got delayed due to fog. #WATCH | Delhi | Pas
Read more