Shillong

Long queues were seen at petrol pumps across Shillong on Friday evening as residents rushed to refill amid rumours of a potential disruption in fuel supplies to Meghalaya. The panic was triggered by the ongoing road blockade along the Guwahati-Shillong highway, now in its second day, where Assam-based groups have been restricting vehicular movement between the two states. Social media messages claiming that the Petroleum Mazdoor Union had decided to halt petrol supplies further fuelled the anxiety. The rush led to severe traffic congestion in several parts of the city, with queues spilling onto main roads as vehicle owners scrambled to fill their tanks amid growing uncertainty.Assam transport associations blocked Meghalaya-registered vehicles at Jorabat, while the FKJGP blocked Assam vehi...

The state government has deployed heavy security, including personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), at Khyndai Lad following the Khasi Students' Union's (KSU) announcement to hold a sit-in protest in the area. Besides state police personnel, including the Special Operations Team (SoT), CRPF personnel have also been deployed around Khyndai Lad. The heightened security measures are aimed at preventing the KSU from proceeding with the agitation after the East Khasi Hills District Administration denied permission for the protest.

Unidentified miscreants hurled petrol bombs at the National People's Party (NPP) office at Lachumiere and Madanriting police station in separate incidents in the early hours of Friday. The NPP office came under attack at around 5 am when two unidentified persons allegedly hurled petrol bombs at the party office. Police personnel were on duty at the office at the time of the incident, but no injuries were reported. Following the attack, police cordoned off and secured the office premises to prevent any further untoward incident. In a separate incident, a petrol bomb was hurled at Madanriting police station at around 1.30 am. No damage was reported in the incident.

Police on Thursday produced three senior leaders of the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) before the District and Sessions Court in Shillong following their arrest amid heightened tensions in the city. Those produced before the court were KSU president Raymond Kharjana, vice-president Pynskhemlang Sanmiet and general secretary Rueben Najiar. The court remanded all three KSU leaders to 14 days in judicial custody. Speaking to reporters after leaving the court, KSU general secretary Rueben Najiar alleged that the government's decision to arrest the leaders was an attempt to suppress the ongoing movement. Najiar, however, said the KSU would not back down and would continue to press for its demands.

Three leaders of the Khasi Students' Union (KSU), who were arrested on Wednesday night, August 19, were taken by police on Thursday morning to be produced before the District and Sessions Court in Shillong. The three arrested leaders have been identified as KSU President Raymond Kharjana, Vice President Pynkmen Sanmiet and General Secretary Reuben Naijar. Their arrests came following Wednesday's two-wheeler rally organised by the KSU, during which incidents of violence were reported at different locations in Shillong, including assaults on members of the public and damage to government and other vehicles.

The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) will launch its agitation against the state government on Wednesday with a black-flag bike rally across large parts of Shillong after its 15-day ultimatum expired without response. Addressing a public meeting at Laitumkhrah Police Point on Tuesday, KSU general secretary Reuben Najiar said the Union would begin with a “small” form of protest but intensify the agitation if the government continued to ignore its five-point charter of demands. “From tomorrow, we will take to the streets and begin our public agitation. We will start with a black-flag march across Shillong city to put pressure on and condemn the government,” he said. Najiar also warned that the KSU may be forced to call a bandh if the situation demands it, despite the government’s cautio...

The East Khasi Hills district administration on Tuesday conducted a joint inspection of the Umkaliar River at Urkaliar to assess the extent of pollution and identify measures to prevent waste from reaching the Umkhrah River. The inspection was led by Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal and brought together government officials, local headmen from Umpling, Nongmensong and Lapalang, officials of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board and Meghalaya Basin Management Agency besides members of the Operation Clean-Up. Briefing reporters, Baranwal said the inspection was aimed at getting a first-hand assessment of the condition of the river and understanding the sources of pollution. He said the administration will now convene a meeting with all stakeholders to draft a Standard Opera...

The Federation of Shillong Hotels has urged the state government to expedite the expansion of Shillong (Umroi) Airport and restore regional flight services that previously connected the city to various North Eastern capitals. Federation President Parambir Singh noted that while the airport once operated flights to Silchar, Agartala, Dimapur, Dibrugarh, and Guwahati, these services were abruptly stopped. He stressed that these routes should be reinstated while the long-term expansion project is underway. The Federation highlighted that direct connectivity would significantly benefit the state’s tourism sector. Singh pointed out that while 40 per cent of tourists visiting the region explore the wider North East, the remaining 50-60 per cent come specifically to visit Meghalaya. ...

Five pressure groups—JNC, JSU, KSU, HSYF and FKJGP—on Monday launched a surprise sit-in protest in front of the Woh Kiang Nangbah monument within the Deputy Commissioner’s office compound in Khliehriat, strongly opposing the recent public hearing held for Shree Cement in East Jaiñtia Hills. The surprise sit-in formed part of their demand for the Meghalaya Government to immediately cancel the public hearing conducted for Shree Cement. The organisations also demanded that the rights and claims of the traditional landowners of Sutnga and Nongkhlieh Elaka be met, as well as the farmers who hold ownership rights over Lum Syrman, be settled and recognised before any further process is allowed to proceed.