Upset with the district administration clamping the entire Shillong city under section 144 CrPC after 10 PM, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said ‘stray incidents are always there not only in Shillong they happen in New York, they happen in Paris that doesn’t mean that you close everything.’
The Minister assured that the state Government will convene a high level meeting on Thursday to review the law and order situation.
Talking to reporters, the Minister said he had taken up the matter with the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong.
“So how do you encourage local entrepreneurs to turn to tourism if the things are shut at 10,” Lyngdoh asked.
“The deputy CM inchaged home will convene a meeting tomorrow and we expect things to change based on the proceedings of tomorrow’s meeting,” he added.
The East Khasi Hills district administration had issued an order under section 144 CrPC prohibiting opening of shops, restaurants, enterprises in the entire Shillong city after 10 pm.
Consumption of intoxicants and engaging in any unlawful activities in the vehicle and blasting of music near educational, religious institutions, hospitals besides residential areas after 10 pm have also been prohibited.
However, the Minister disagreed with the District Magistrate’s order and said, “With due respect to the officer’s concern, when you have shops and everything is open , then there is more safety. you feel more safe when shops around are open, when Malls are open then people can walk and feel safer, when everything is shut how do you instill a sense of confidence that everything is normal.”
Reacting on the justification given by the Deputy Commissioner saying normal citizens would be home by 10 PM, Lyngdoh asked, “I don’t know who define normal and who is abnormal? because in cities even in Guwahati people land up for dinner even at Midnight , so you don’t call them abnormal because they have their dinner at 12 midnight.”
The Minister further said, Shillong has grown over the years and the majority of citizens are right thinking people who will not indulge in mindless violence.
“ We should upscale policing, allow people to move freely because confining them in their respective localities will not solve any problem, infact it will increase the number of cases of violation within those localities,” he added.