The National People’s Youth Front (NPYF) has termed the mob attack at the Meghalaya chief minister’s office at Tura in Meghalaya as a criminal conspiracy to derail the peaceful discussion between chief minister Conrad Sangma and the representatives of the ACHIK, GHSMC and others on July 24.
Vehemently condemning the incident in a statement, the NPYF said: “The chaos, and the attack at the CMO Tura, tantamount to a criminal conspiracy by these anti-social elements.”
“We strongly denounce the attack, which could have harmed the person of the CM. The action of the perpetrators is a nefarious design of these hooligans, who had come to the venue with a preconceived plan to disturb the peace.”
The statement said that the demand for a winter capital in Tura is a legitimate concern of the people of Garo Hills, and it deserves a constructive political dialogue involving all stakeholders.
“It is disheartening to witness the cowardly acts of certain anti-social groups, who, without any genuine concern for the Garos, had resorted to pelting stones at the CMO Tura during the meeting. Such actions reflect a complete disregard for the welfare of the community and undermine the efforts to find a resolution through peaceful means.”
The statement said that the chief minister had agreed to meet the groups near the hunger strike venue, where the groups were agitating, and this shows that the CM was genuinely concerned.
Further, the NPYF said that an ambulance carrying police personnel or any emergency services should never be subjected to attacks, as they are essential for preserving life and providing aid to those in need.
However, these hooligans did not even spare an ambulance, which we firmly believe was a dastardly act of anti-socials, who only wanted to perpetuate the conflict and law and order problem.
“While we strongly condemn the action of these hooligans, we reiterate that NPYF supports any form of peaceful demonstration for the greater cause of the society in alignment with the principles of the right to protest. We acknowledge the intervention and development initiatives taken by the CM for the progress and development of the state,” it said.
Meanwhile, the NPYF also said that in the last five years, the government had initiated a number of welfare and development projects for the overall growth of the state, whcih is a commitment of this government under the able and dynamic leadership of the CM.
While seeking strong action against the hooligans, the NPYF also urged the citizens to remain calm and allow the law enforcement agencies to work and cooperate in whatever possible ways to arrest the wrongdoers.
“As peace-loving and law-abiding citizens, let us all come together to demonstrate to the world that the people of Tura and Garo Hills in no way accept violent means of protest. Let us all come together to extend our support to the government in restoring peace and normalcy,” it concluded.
