Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum urges state to take action against perpetrators of Shillong violence incident

The Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF) has urged the state government to act immediately and prosecute those responsible for the October 28 violence caused during the rally. 

Notably, on October 28, the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) organised a rally against unemployment which later turned violent in the state capital of Meghalaya.

"Confidence in the law and order apparatus needs to be restored," MTDF Chairman Larsing Sawyan stated in a statement. "The public needs to be reassured that such flagrant acts of public defiance against the order of law and civility will not go unpunished."

According to him, the Forum also asked the FKJGP to assist in locating the individuals responsible for the violent acts against innocent bystanders.

Larsing added, "Such tragedies bring about enormous damage to our State," adding that the perpetrators of Friday's foolish and barbaric deeds are the biggest enemies of the people of Meghalaya and they have brought the people immense humiliation.

"We now live in a world of seamless communication and information transfer, he claimed, thanks to the development and steady advancement of digital technology and communication. Thus, the violence committed on Friday was not only documented but also disseminated throughout the state, region, and nation," said Larsing.

He grieved that Meghalaya and its people have all been portrayed in a very negative manner, especially the indigenous community.

"It’s an irony that a rally meant to address unemployment actually resulted in an atmosphere that damages the state’s economy and image thereby promoting an atmosphere that hampers job creation and economic growth," Larsing said.

"We commend the FKJGP President for having the leadership to accept the egregious errors of his members and for his apology about the situation," added Larsing.

However, he added, "It is also an act that has severely compromised the economic potential of the State, particularly in the sector of Tourism. The abuse and violence inflicted on innocent citizens of the country is a criminal act and it is an incident that has damaged the goodwill of the Khasi & Jaintia people.

He claimed that while dissent and protests are beneficial for a strong democracy, they must now be conducted in a way that is appropriate for the contemporary era in which we live.
"The power of dialogue, community solidarity and non-violence are what gave this great nation its independence 75 years ago. Why do we need to resort to archaic methods and activities as a means to address our issues that are now consigned to the back pages of history in most societies worldwide," he questioned.

Also stating that Meghalaya today stands at the threshold of huge economic growth that can be achieved primarily through Tourism on account of two factors, the MTDF chairman said, firstly, with the continuous rise in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), India recently overtook the United Kingdom to become the 4th largest country in the world in terms of GDP, becoming one of the largest consumer markets in the world. 

Secondly, post-pandemic people have an aversion to long-distance overseas travel and it is highly cumbersome nowadays to obtain visas to European countries. These two factors present a huge opportunity for Meghalaya tourism in the coming years.
 
"It’s is therefore important to acknowledge the importance of tourism as a game changer for livelihood creation for the local people, particularly in the rural areas," he said.
Further, the MTDF requested the support of all community organizations and NGOs in the state to work unitedly towards promoting an atmosphere of peace irrespective of our internal differences. 

"Issues concerning our state need o be addressed through electoral debates and finally in the Assembly rather than in streets, thoroughfares and market places. 
The time for change has come, and change we must ourselves first," it stated.