Shillong, Sep 6: Ka Sur Ki Nong Mawlai, an umbrella body of 11 organisations on Monday organised a ‘knife surrender rally’ to mock the government’s claim that police had shot former HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew on August 13, after he allegedly tried to attack the personnel with a knife.
The members of Ka Sur Ki Nong Mawlai along with hundreds of residents of Mawlai took out a rally from Mawlai Petrol Pump to Mawlai Stand Bus and along the way knives were symbolically surrendered. Earlier, the family members of Thangkhiew started the campaign by symbolically surrendering their knives at Mawlai Petrol Pump.
Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) MLA from Shillong North, Adelbert Nongrum also took part in the knife surrendering rally.
Later, at the end of the rally at Mawlai Stand Bus, Ka Sur Ki Nong Mawlai and the public burnt copies of the show cause notice served to six members of the conglomerate.
The district authorities had slapped show-cause notices to six leaders of the umbrella organisation for violating COVID-19 protocols by holding public gatherings.
President of the Seng Samla Mawlai Pyllun (SSMP), Samuel Biam said that the show cause notice by the Deputy Commissioner was at the insistence of the higher ups in the government.
Meanwhile, member of Ka Sur Ki Nong Mawlai, Donboklang Kharlyngdoh said that the knife surrender rally was organised to insult the police department, because according to them in Meghalaya said knife was the most dreaded weapon.
It may be mentioned that the six were asked to reply by Monday, outlining why action should not be initiated against them under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Disaster Management Act, the Meghalaya Epidemic Disease and COVID Regulations, 2020, for organising unauthorized gatherings in total violation of SOPs, thereby posing a risk to public health and safety.
In the notice, the district administration said the leaders of the group held a rally on August 25 at a “limited space†in Mawlai Nongkwar near Thangkhiew petrol pump, which was attended by a crowd of about 1,500 without obtaining prior permission. The notice marked another gathering on August 27 for a candle-light rally from the petrol pump to Mawlai Mawdatbaki.
“In the video footage shared, it was also seen that up to 1,000 people attended, many were without masks and little social distancing observed,†the show-cause notice pointed out.