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Tag: Conrad K Sangma

  • Meghalaya CM’s office attacked by mob, 5 policemen injured

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Five police personnel were injured when a mob pelted stones targeting Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s office in Tura on Monday evening. Night curfew was imposed in Tura town.

    The Injured cops were admitted to a hospital. Sangma escaped without injuries.

    He was holding a discussion with some organisations which recently launched protests demanding the clearance of backlog of jobs meant for the Garo community and declaring Tura the state’s “winter capital”.

    Official sources said Sangma was holding a peaceful discussion with the organisations for over three hours at the CMO, Tura when a mob emerged and carried out the attack. 

    “The Chief Minister had invited the agitating groups for a discussion in presence of all stakeholders. Meanwhile, a crowd of thousands of people gathered outside the CMO, Tura and started pelting stones,” the Chief Minister’s Office said.

    The police retaliated by firing teargas shells to disperse the crowd and in the turn of events and commotion, five police personnel were injured, the CMO said, adding Sangma was overseeing the matter. 

    The leaders of the protesting organisations said the assailants were not their members. 

    Following the incident, a large number of policemen and CRPF personnel were rushed to the site. 

    Sangma said, “Incident is unfortunate. I met the protesting organisations, for I thought issues can be resolved only though dialogues. While the discussion was almost over, we heard sloganeering from outside. I sent some members of the protesting groups outside. Upon return, they said they had not seen these people (mob) before.” 

    “Necessary action will be taken as per the law. Sad that while we were trying to find a solution, this happened.”, the CM added.

    GUWAHATI: Five police personnel were injured when a mob pelted stones targeting Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s office in Tura on Monday evening. Night curfew was imposed in Tura town.

    The Injured cops were admitted to a hospital. Sangma escaped without injuries.

    He was holding a discussion with some organisations which recently launched protests demanding the clearance of backlog of jobs meant for the Garo community and declaring Tura the state’s “winter capital”.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Official sources said Sangma was holding a peaceful discussion with the organisations for over three hours at the CMO, Tura when a mob emerged and carried out the attack. 

    “The Chief Minister had invited the agitating groups for a discussion in presence of all stakeholders. Meanwhile, a crowd of thousands of people gathered outside the CMO, Tura and started pelting stones,” the Chief Minister’s Office said.

    The police retaliated by firing teargas shells to disperse the crowd and in the turn of events and commotion, five police personnel were injured, the CMO said, adding Sangma was overseeing the matter. 

    The leaders of the protesting organisations said the assailants were not their members. 

    Following the incident, a large number of policemen and CRPF personnel were rushed to the site. 

    Sangma said, “Incident is unfortunate. I met the protesting organisations, for I thought issues can be resolved only though dialogues. While the discussion was almost over, we heard sloganeering from outside. I sent some members of the protesting groups outside. Upon return, they said they had not seen these people (mob) before.” 

    “Necessary action will be taken as per the law. Sad that while we were trying to find a solution, this happened.”, the CM added.

  • Meghalaya: Sangma tweaks poll tactics, puts Trinamool on backfoot

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Changing his election tactics, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who is the national president of National People’s Party (NPP), publicly announced the name of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA as the NPP candidate in the Tikrikilla seat.

    “Great to be at Paham in Tikrikilla, West Garo Hills after a month to address supporters of the NPP where we also welcomed new members to the party. Apprised them about the work of the NPP-led MDA Government & urged their support to our candidate Sh. Jimmy D Sangma,” the CM tweeted.

    Jimmy is the TMC legislator in the Tikrikilla seat. Speculations are rife that he will quit the party and embrace the NPP.

    Normally, poaching is done clandestinely and the defectors announce their crossing over. In this case, CM Sangma went public with the TMC MLA’s candidature and said he (Jimmy) is contesting as an NPP candidate. 

    Jimmy was not available for comment. The TMC said it would discuss the issue.

    “Our leaders are out of station. They will soon meet and discuss the matter. We will decide accordingly,” party MLA George B Lyngdoh told this newspaper.

    Last week, he alleged the rival political parties were making attempts to poach the TMC legislators. “Other parties are trying to weaken us. This has been going on for some time,” Lyngdoh had said.

    In November last year, 12 of the 17 Congress MLAs, led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, had jumped ship to wear TMC colours. Their desertion had relegated the grand old party to a smaller party and made the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC the state’s principal opposition dramatically overnight. It had no base in the state prior to that.

    Recently, one of the MLAs, Himalaya Shangpliang, had ditched the party to join the BJP. As the polls draw near, keeping its MLAs intact will be the biggest challenge for the TMC.

    The party has virtually captured the Congress’ space in the Garo Hills region but it will have to do a lot to consolidate its position in the two other regions of Khasi and Jaintia Hills, observers said.

    GUWAHATI: Changing his election tactics, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who is the national president of National People’s Party (NPP), publicly announced the name of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA as the NPP candidate in the Tikrikilla seat.

    “Great to be at Paham in Tikrikilla, West Garo Hills after a month to address supporters of the NPP where we also welcomed new members to the party. Apprised them about the work of the NPP-led MDA Government & urged their support to our candidate Sh. Jimmy D Sangma,” the CM tweeted.

    Jimmy is the TMC legislator in the Tikrikilla seat. Speculations are rife that he will quit the party and embrace the NPP.

    Normally, poaching is done clandestinely and the defectors announce their crossing over. In this case, CM Sangma went public with the TMC MLA’s candidature and said he (Jimmy) is contesting as an NPP candidate. 

    Jimmy was not available for comment. The TMC said it would discuss the issue.

    “Our leaders are out of station. They will soon meet and discuss the matter. We will decide accordingly,” party MLA George B Lyngdoh told this newspaper.

    Last week, he alleged the rival political parties were making attempts to poach the TMC legislators. “Other parties are trying to weaken us. This has been going on for some time,” Lyngdoh had said.

    In November last year, 12 of the 17 Congress MLAs, led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, had jumped ship to wear TMC colours. Their desertion had relegated the grand old party to a smaller party and made the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC the state’s principal opposition dramatically overnight. It had no base in the state prior to that.

    Recently, one of the MLAs, Himalaya Shangpliang, had ditched the party to join the BJP. As the polls draw near, keeping its MLAs intact will be the biggest challenge for the TMC.

    The party has virtually captured the Congress’ space in the Garo Hills region but it will have to do a lot to consolidate its position in the two other regions of Khasi and Jaintia Hills, observers said.

  • Meghalaya HC orders interim stay on Assam-Meghalaya border pact

    By PTI

    SHILLONG:  The Meghalaya High Court has ordered an interim stay on physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground in connection with an interstate border pact signed by chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya earlier this year.

    Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma had in March signed an MoU for demarcating the border in at least six of the 12 contested locations that often raised tensions between the two states.

    Justice H S Thangkhiew ordered the interim stay till the next date of hearing on February 6, 2023, on a petition filed by four ‘traditional chiefs’ of Meghalaya.

    “It is however understood that during the intervening period, no physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground, pursuant to the MoU dated 29.03. 2022 shall be carried out, till the next date,” Justice Thangkhiew said.

    The ‘traditional chiefs’ in their petition had urged the high court to set aside the MoU signed between the two northeastern states, claiming that it violated provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with special provisions for administration of tribal areas.

    SHILLONG:  The Meghalaya High Court has ordered an interim stay on physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground in connection with an interstate border pact signed by chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya earlier this year.

    Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma had in March signed an MoU for demarcating the border in at least six of the 12 contested locations that often raised tensions between the two states.

    Justice H S Thangkhiew ordered the interim stay till the next date of hearing on February 6, 2023, on a petition filed by four ‘traditional chiefs’ of Meghalaya.

    “It is however understood that during the intervening period, no physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground, pursuant to the MoU dated 29.03. 2022 shall be carried out, till the next date,” Justice Thangkhiew said.

    The ‘traditional chiefs’ in their petition had urged the high court to set aside the MoU signed between the two northeastern states, claiming that it violated provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with special provisions for administration of tribal areas.

  • CUET exemption likely for Meghalaya students: CM Conrad K Sangma

    CUET scores have been made mandatory for admission to undergraduate courses at 45 central varsities from the 2022-23 academic session.

  • Meghalaya Police probe threat email to CM Sangma

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Meghalaya Police are probing a threat email sent to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma that bombs will go off every single week starting from May 1.

    A senior official suspected that the email was sent by an element opposed to the government’s proposed peace talks with insurgent group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).

    “The HNLC is a spent force with eight to ten of its leaders, holed up in Bangladesh, wanting a face-saving exit. But some people are unhappy with the peace process. I think the sender of the email is trying to fish in troubled waters,” the official told TNIE.

    He said the police were probing the case and would be able to zero in on the culprit soon. There is nothing to worry about, he added.

    Home Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui said, “We will see to it.”

    The email sender had written that he and 36 other well-qualified and jobless youths had formed an insurgent group whose strength would come to display in a couple of weeks.

    “…Mr. Chief Minister…I’m emailing you today just to tell you that whoever said ‘education can get you employed’ is a d***! I’m also emailing you to let you know that I and 36 other well-qualified and talented jobless youths have formed an outfit. A terror outfit, of course – with free sponsored arms and ammunition – whose capability and strength will come to display in a couple of weeks from now,” the threat email read.

    It was sent in the name of the newly-floated group “Lawei ba Phyrnai” (bright future).

    The email threatened that the first target of the group would be the Meghalaya Board of School of Education building.

    “Next will be St. Anthony’s School and College where I passed out from. And even NEHU (North-Eastern Hill University) where I received my diploma. And yes, we will keep planting bombs till you and your government come up with a solution to employ every single Meghalayan out there,” the email reads.

    The person congratulated Sangma on getting “petty” insurgent group HNLC to “surrender but don’t ever think you’ll get us to do the same”.

    “…don’t waste your precious time tracking us. Better get your team moving to detect the first bomb. Time is ticking now. All the best!” the person’s email to Sangma with “copy to” 10 others, including Governor Satya Pal Malik and Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court Sanjib Banerjee, further reads.

    It added that the email was sent from the personal computer of an “insanely-corrupt” district transport officer.

  • MHA calls meeting to finalise Assam-Meghalaya border pact on March 29; CMs asked to be present

    By PTI

    SHILLONG: The Ministry for Home Affairs (MHA) has fixed March 29 to finalise the border agreement signed between Assam and Meghalaya in January to settle the dispute in six of the 12 areas of difference, an official said on Friday.

    Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with senior officials of the two North-eastern neighbours, were asked to be in the national capital for the meeting.

    “We have received a formal communication from the MHA about the meeting on finalising the border agreement on March 29 in New Delhi. The CMs and border committee officials of both states have been asked to be prepared for the tripartite meeting,” an official of the Meghalaya Chief Minister’s Office here told PTI.

    The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on March 27 but it was postponed by two days.

    The chief ministers of Meghalaya and Assam signed a memorandum of understanding at Guwahati on January 29 to resolve the boundary dispute in six locations – Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillangkata and Ratacherra, in the first phase. It was then sent to the MHA for examination.

    Meghalaya was carved out of Assam as a separate state in 1972 and it had challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, leading to disputes related to 12 areas in different parts of the shared 884.9 km long border.

    The boundary between the two states has witnessed flare-ups several times. In one such incident in 2010, four persons were killed in police firing at Langpih, one of the 12 areas of difference.

  • Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma rushes to Manipur to negotiate government formation with BJP

    By PTI

    SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his brother Power Minister James PK Sangma on Friday skipped the Assembly session here to rush to Manipur to negotiate with BJP in a bid to include the National People’s Party in the next government in that state.

    However, BJP which has won a simple majority in the Manipur assembly in elections, counting for which concluded Thursday and its state leaders including care-taker chief minister N Biren Singh have indicated they are not too keen to continue the alliance with NPP which is part of the NDA, in the state.

    The NPP has won 7 seats and is the second largest party in Manipur while the BJP has won 32 seats.

    The saffron party’s leaders have however indicated they favoured taking support from the Naga People’s Front which has 5 seats.

    “The Meghalaya Chief Minister is camping in Imphal along with NPP national spokesperson James PK Sangma. They are camping at the state capital with other party leaders,” a NPP leader told PTI, requesting anonymity.

    The NPP president is using his age-old connections with BJP top leadership both in the North East and in Delhi to try and mend the broken relationship his party shared with the BJP in Manipur, according to the NPP leader.

    The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance led by the NPP in also includes 2 BJP MLAs, one of whom is in the cabinet.

    However, the BJP has been unhappy with the MDA taking in Congress legislators into the Government and with NPP engaging the BJP in `friendly’ fights in the Manipur assembly elections.

  • Meghalaya ‘fake’ encounter case: Shillong groups fire knife salvo at Conrad Sangma govt

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Civil society groups in Meghalaya capital Shillong on Monday literally resorted to cutting sarcasm against the state government with a “knife” protest.

    Eleven organisations came together under the banner of “Ka Sur Ki Nong Mawlai” and staged the “rally pyndem tari” (knife surrender rally) against the Conrad K Sangma government’s failure to suspend some senior police officials responsible for the killing of former insurgent leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew in an alleged fake encounter on August 13.

    The protestors moved around with knives in a Shillong locality and “surrendered” them later. The knives surrendered were symbolic of the one the police claimed Thangkhiew had used in trying to attack them. By this action, they wanted to call the alleged bluff of the police.

    After Thangkhiew’s killing at his residence, the police had explained that he was shot dead in self-defence as he pulled out a knife and attempted to attack the personnel.

    The civil society groups have been since demanding the suspension of the police officials, including two Superintendents of Police, but the government tried to assuage the public feelings by ordering a probe.

    The residents and the members of the civil society groups had gathered at the Mawlai petrol pump prior to taking out the peaceful rally which culminated at the Mawlai bus stand.

    The protestors reiterated the demand for the suspension of the police officers. A team of police personnel, drawn from two districts, had carried out the operation at Thangkhiew’s residence that day.

    The authorities of East Khasi Hills district, of which Shillong is the headquarters, had earlier served show-cause notices on six leaders of the umbrella body for violating COVID-19 protocols by holding public gatherings.

    On the day of Thangkhiew’s funeral, parts of Shillong witnessed sporadic incidents of violence during which mobs of protestors torched and damaged a number of vehicles.

  • Those involved in Shillong improvised bomb attack will not be spared: Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma

    By PTI

    SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said those involved in the improvised bomb attack in the state capital here ahead of Independence Day celebrations which injured two persons including a woman, will not be spared.

    The 1kg remotely-timed improvised explosive device (IED), triggered by the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), went off at around 1:30 pm behind a busy market area in Laitumkhrah injuring a shopkeeper and a passer-by.

    The Police have registered a case and investigation is currently on to nab those involved in carrying out the blast.

    At a press briefing Sangma warned, “Those involved in the IED blast in Shillong will not be spared. Those who are a threat to peace will be punished.”

    On his social media handles, he said, “Strongly condemn the IED blast reported in Laitumkhrah earlier this afternoon that has injured two citizens. Home Minister, @LahkmenR & officials of @MeghalayaPolice have apprised me on the matter and further investigation is being carried out.”

    Local MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh also condemned the incident.

    “I condemn this terrible act of violence which has injured two civilians in the heart of Shillong. The use of violence can never be justified and @MeghalayaPolice must investigate the incident & arrest those who are responsible for this,” she said.

    Once a dreaded armed group in Meghalaya and active in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region, the organisation which is reputed to have a base camp in Bangladesh, was banned as an ‘unlawful organisation’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2019 on grounds that “the outfit is yet to abjure violence”.

    The HNLC, a breakaway faction of the earlier Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council (1993) primarily operates in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region, and has carried out a number of attacks in the past.

    It claims it wishes to “free” people from alleged domination by “outsiders”.

    Last month the rebel outfit carried out an attack at a police reserve barracks in East Jaintia Hills district headquarters injuring a policeman and damaging buildings.

    Three persons were later arrested.

    A year ago, the outfit had carried out a blast at a cement plant in the same district while in 2015, the rebel outfit had carried out an IED attack in the Jhalupara area of the city.

    No one was injured.

    Although tripartite peace negotiation is ongoing with the rebel outfit, the Meghalaya government has maintained that the outfit has to abstain from violence if it wants to negotiate peace.

  • Meghalaya CM to meet Himanta on border dispute with Assam

    By PTI
    SHILLONG: Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma said that he would meet Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday evening to fix a date for the official border talks between the two neighbouring states.

    The issue of the boundary dispute with Assam was discussed during the meeting of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), held ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state on July 24.

    Sangma, who is the chairman of the MDA, said that he has decided to start the process of consultation with the stakeholders on the issue.

    “I will be meeting the Assam CM tomorrow evening in Guwahati. The meeting is unofficial. We have been having unofficial discussions on this very important subject and tomorrow is a continuation of that. While we sit, we will also fix a date for an official meeting between the two governments,” Sangma told reporters on Friday.

    There is a need to involve different social organisations, headmen and nokmas as the government will have to go across the board to ensure the inclusion of people who matter in the process, he said.

    On raising the issue with Shah during his visit to the state, Sangma said, “We will also be discussing many developmental issues as the Union home minister is the chairman of the North Eastern Council (NEC). He is also very keen to discuss the afforestation and conservation works, especially in the Sohra area.”

    He further said that all the chief ministers of the Northeast have been invited during Shah’s visit to discuss issues that are common to the region.

    “Apart from that, obviously state-specific issues, including the Eighth Schedule and the Sixth Schedule amendment, will be discussed with the home minister,” he said.

    Sangma said a lot of informal discussions on the boundary dispute issue are needed.

    “I don’t want to show the cards right now but as I said a lot of homework has gone into how we plan to move forward on this. At this point in time, it will not be proper to discuss those details but as I said, we are focusing on the fact that whatever solution we come up with must be amicable and must be a solution that is going to be acceptable to the people of both the states,” he said.

    Regarding the suggestion for setting up a boundary commission, Sangma said the issue will also be discussed.

    “This will require not just a commission — if you say a commission to look into the facts and figures, but it is a lot to do with the political will also — so we have to really see it from all angles. We could look into that suggestion but nothing has been decided yet,” he added.