Them Iew Mawlong, adjacent to the Iewduh m a r k e t , the oldest and biggest traditional market in the North Eastern region has all along being congested with criminal activities, which sparked off the Shillong violence leading to the imposition of curfews which affected normal life for a stretch of one week or so. The big question, however, is that residents of this crowded area be allocated elsewhere, people of this area mainly belonging to Punjab origin settle in the colony, however with no land ownership rights.
The ‘Clean Dhubri Green Dhubri’ project was launched recently in Dhubri town with a view to make historic Dhubri town a clean city in Assam. A host of members from leading social organizations and also social group active in the social media joined the campaign appealing for clean and green Dhubri. It was, of late, realized that without the active participation and cooperation of the local people, it was extremely difficult for Dhubri Municipal Board alone to keep the town clean. So, the project envisaged involving people to make the Dhubri town free from garbage and transform it into a place of healthy living. Dhubri Deputy Commissioner, Anant Lal Gyani who is taking a keen interest also made a fervent appeal to the people and social organizations to extend co-operation in the mission of cleaning Dhubri.
On the day Salima Memcha Moijing was scheduled to give her statement to the Criminal Investigation Department in her husband’s case, paramilitary and state police personnel barged in and vandalized her home and threatened her. The 38-year-old widow lost her husband, Md Fajiruddin Moijing, 45, allegedly in an encounter with a combined security team of 33 Assam Rifles and Manipur Police Commandos on January of 2010. What was distinct in the case was the fact that her husband’s lifeless body was found clothed with an oversized camouflage trouser and a jacket that did not belong to him. His acquired clothing did not bear any bullet holes on them despite Fajiruddin having succumbed to 10 bullet wounds.
Similar was the fate of Sagolsem Menjor Singh. Manipur Police personnel came to ‘arrest’ Menjor Singh from his Mayang Imphal residence on 8th January 2018. He escaped the ‘arrest’ being away at that time. Later police source known to Menjor informed him that there was no official arrest warrant issued against him. Menjor has been seeking justice since his only son was killed in an alleged extra judicial execution in 2009.
The export of terror from pollbound Bangladesh to West Bengal, the Seven Sister Zone and Sikkim has emerged as a major concern for the security of India. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said that the infiltration of pro- Islamic State Mujahideens, arms smugglers and drug peddlers in India through the 4,096 km Indo-Bangladesh border is jeopardizing the national security in its entirety. Though the entire India is in risk as the Bangladeshi Mujahideens are setting up their arms training camps, recruiting Indian Muslims as fighters and establishing clandestine bases dotting across India, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar are particularly under the scanner. In fact, a real-time risk now is looming large as the Sheikh Hasina Government has launched a massive crackdown on the Islamic terrorists who wants to oust her government and establish a Sharia-based Islamic rule in Bangladesh. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has so far killed over 162 frontal operators of pro-Jihad militant outfits. The RAB has been given a free hand to kill in encounters the Jihadi fighters. These fighters are meant to carry out killing operations and causing subversive activities both in India and Bangladesh. To exemplify, they plotted earlier this year to kill the Dalai Lama, supreme spiritual Guru of Buddhists. The NIA has already warned West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand about the possible escalation of operation by these fighters in near future.
These Jihadi fighters also tried to kill Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, over 19-times since she came to power. Now these Jihadi fighters are fleeing to Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar to save their lives. Living in Bangladesh may mean their encounter killing by the RAB. The RAB has so far busted over 362 safe havens, camps, hiding places and dens of these Jihadi fighters. Naturally, they have nowhere else go to but these states dotting India.
The Congress in Meghalaya has decided to lend support to People’s Democratic Front (PDF) for the Ranikor by-poll. This came after 16 MDC of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) decided to oust CEM Pynsgngain N. Syiem. This came after UDP did not agree to go hand in hand with Congress.
Earlier 16 MDC of KHADC met Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to demand a special session in the KHADC.These 16 MDC include 5 of UDP, 4 of NPP, 3 of HSPDP, 3 of PDF and 1 Independent. It is also learnt that NPP and UDP MDC are against P.N. Syiem as the CEM of District Council.
Shillong is all set to welcome visitors and tourists with flowers. The Rotary Club of Shillong had planted 1200 saplings along the Guwahati Shillong Road in the portion of the highway wherein stands the sacred U Lum Sohpetbneng, the umbilical heavenly peak within a span of 500 metres in the vicinity of Umaiam lake. The flowers include the Bougainvilea species of flowers of purple, yellow and white colours. Over and above the scenic beauty of the Umiam lake, would greet the visitors of cherry blossom flower trees which bloom in autumn season. This would also help in the protection of the environment and ecology of the Umiam in Ri Bhoi.
For the first time in history, since scripted history, Minister of the Union government, Jitendra Singh of the Development of the North Eastern Region, took part in the annual Behdeiñkhlam festival of the Pnars in Jowai in chasing away of the plague and other negative forces in the society such as corrupt practices, drug abuse. The Minister announced that the Central Government would promote the festival, physically, financially, and also logistic support. Further the Ministry has initiated the process of having a rotational camp m for all the North Eastern states, so that people from the region do not need to travel all the way to New Delhi. The ministry is at their door step for any kind of merry making.
It would be an acid test, for the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance Government, specially for the National People’s Party (NPP), as the Chief Minister himself Conrad K. Sangma, would have to be formally elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly. Besides Martin M. Danggo, who resigned from the Congress party and also as the elected representative from the Ranikor constituency of Khasi Hills. Conrad’s Sister Agatha K. Sangma has however made way for Conrad by resigning from the South Tura Constituency, and would be contesting as member of Parliament in place of Conrad, a convenience of exchange of seats within the family. This has however led to a fluid political situation within the partners of the MDA itself, especially in the Ranikor constituency, where the MDA major regional party, the United Democratic Party UDP, is prepared to set up a candidate against Martin M. Danggo who would be contesting from the NPP. Also the MDA partner, the Peoples Democratic Front is rolling up its sleeves to jump into the final round of polls in the state. The Congress obviously would also be taking no chances in its bid to raise its tally as the largest single party in the assembly.
Shillong was but a small town, about a hundred fifty years ago, when the capital of the Assam province was shifted from Nongsawlia in Sohra, the rainiest spot on earth. The town was then known as Laban which spread gradually in an unplanned and haphazard manner. With the growth of the population it gained the status of a city. However it earned the name as the “Queen of Hill stations and also as the “ Scotland of the East”. After a long wait Shillong, the city named after the deity “U Blei Shyllong” entered the prestigious list of being one of the smart city of the country. Rupees 500 crore would be received as grant and another matching amount would be needed from the state’s coffer to meet expenses in improving the sewage system, drainage and waste management to remove traffic congestion and planned expansion of this city into a clean, tidy and upmarket standard. It would certainly be an uphill task for the state government to meet the expense.
