SHILLONG: Violence erupted across the city on Wednesday during a bike rally organised by the Khasi Students Union (KSU), with pedestrians assaulted, statues of Subhash Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda vandalised, and 31 vehicles reported by police to have been attacked and damaged. Three senior KSU leaders were arrested the same night in connection with the incidents.
The arrested individuals have been identified as President Raymond Kharjana, General Secretary Reuben Najiar, and Vice-President Pynkmenlang Sanmiet.
The bike rally was an extension of ongoing protests organised by the KSU over a five-point charter of demands. These include the cancellation of Shree Cement Ltd’s July 31, 2026 public hearing for the proposed cement plant and limestone mining project in East Jaintia Hills, along with action against the officials and police involved; full implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016, including entry-exit checkpoints, until an Inner Line Permit (ILP) system is enacted; and implementation of the amended Meghalaya Migrant Workmen Act, 2020, to protect local jobs from outsiders.
They also demanded that recruitment anomalies at NEIGRIHMS be addressed by enforcing an 80:20 female-to-male ratio for nurses, ensuring proper local reservation quotas, and holding recruitment exams locally within Meghalaya. Additionally, they called for scrapping personal interviews for Grade B, C, and D posts and establishing clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) for recruitment boards such as the MPSC and DSC.
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The union had initially given the government 15 days to respond; after receiving no positive response, the bike rally was held. Members marched to the Meghalaya Secretariat during the day, where flags were hoisted but subsequently removed by police personnel.
Officials said the statues of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji at the Relief and Rehabilitation Colony — set up for people who fled erstwhile East Pakistan in the 1960s — were vandalised during the rally. Police and security personnel were deployed across different parts of the city following the incidents, while further details on the extent of the damage and any additional arrests were awaited.
“Thirty-one vehicles were vandalised, people walking on the streets were beaten up without any reason, and a bus ferrying children was also affected during the protest. One vehicle was set ablaze,” said East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem on Wednesday.
The rally had earlier been granted prior permission after organisers gave an undertaking that it would remain peaceful.
“We did not expect this to happen, because they were granted permission and had given an undertaking. It is sad that this has affected the peace and tranquillity of the city,” he added.
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According to police, the arrested individuals have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including for damaging public property, causing hurt, and unlawful assembly. The three were taken to Sadar Police Station for questioning.
A joint team comprising SF-10 personnel cordoned off the KSU office in Jaiaw Pdeng around 11:30 pm and searched the premises. Local residents came out in large numbers to protest, forcing the police to retreat from the area. During the operation, police also fired blank shots into the air to disperse the crowd and prevent further gathering.
