Cabinet Minister and MDA-2 Spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh assured on Tuesday that he would discuss the August 13, 2021, incident with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. The incident involved the alleged gunning down of former Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) general secretary Cherishterfield Thangkhiew by security forces, which led to widespread protests in Shillong.
Lyngdoh acknowledged that he had limited information about the case and had not been briefed by the Home Department. He mentioned that he would request more details from the Chief Minister during their meeting, especially concerning the report and recommendations of the one-man committee that was formed to investigate the matter.
Talking to Mediapersons, Lyngdoh said, “Well, I have Scanned information regarding this case because first of all, I have not had any briefing by the Home Department and therefore, it will be presumptuous on my part to actually jump into any conclusions and make comments. Yeah, I’m meeting the CM tomorrow so I can request for more information on the case from him.”
The committee, led by Justice T. Vaiphei, conducted an inquiry into the police operation and made certain recommendations. However, two years after the inquiry, the state government has yet to act on those recommendations.
On August 13, the third death anniversary of Thangkhiew, three pressure groups—the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), and the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF), along with former HNLC leaders and Thangkhiew’s family, paid floral tributes at his grave in Lawmali.
Earlier, Mawlai units of these pressure groups observed “Black Flag Day” in remembrance of Thangkhiew. The observance included the distribution of black flags, the display of banners and posters throughout the city criticizing the government and police actions, and messages like “Be careful when you are sleeping, you might be shot by the Government” and “Khasi lives matter.” Vehicles and two-wheelers were also seen displaying black flags in solidarity.