East Shillong legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh on Friday said the attack and arson incident at the Laitumkhrah police station should not be linked with a communal clash. Clarifying about the incident, Lyngdoh, who is also a cabinet Minister, said it was a brawl between two groups of young people.
Talking to the Media, the Minister said, she has sought an explanation from the SP about the incident. Lyngdoh said people who are responsible will have to be taken to task.
After visiting the police station and conducting a meeting with the SPs, Lyngdoh said, “Please leave the word communal out of this. The incident was just a brawl between two groups of young people. When you are a little intoxicated I don’t think you even remember which community you belong to. So let us not add fuel to fire because I am very sure no organization would give consent to anyone and no community would also give consent to any individuals to behave in a rowdy manner in the streets.”
She said such anarchy should not be allowed. “I have met with the SPs and I have sought an explanation on the incident. I will wait for the police report. The home minister, who is also deputy chief minister, has personally called when I was in the police station which means he may not be in the station but he was still functioning and he has requested the police force to kindly attend and that it should stop here.”
She also demanded that people who are responsible for the incident have to be taken to task. “CCTV surveillance is there and I do not anticipate that there will be any problem identifying anyone.”
“Unfortunately, three vehicles were damaged and the cowboy culture should be discouraged completely, you strike a cigarette and you throw it on a vehicle that is only in the movies. Why are we seeing it happening in real life? Now all people are not bad people. Sometimes people get a little happy and they do something silly and then it registers as incorrect and it paints the wrong picture but don’t read too much. I am hoping this is a stray incident. One of its unique kind and it will never happen again,” she said.
Lyngdoh said if such incidents reoccur they would be left with no option but disallow anyone to hangout aimlessly in Laitumkhrah area.
“I think we have to take a call. We have to request the police force to disallow anyone to hangout aimlessly in any of our roads and by-lanes if you are going to fight with each other and cause us more troubles. We accommodated you and if you cannot appreciate the good gesture from our side then we have to put it down and close it up,” she said.