Shillong: Assam Linguistic Minority Development Board Chairperson Shiladitya Dev on Friday called on Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik and raised his concerns of the frequent attacks on the state’s linguistic minority communities minorities.
Dev, who was accompanied sitting BJP legislator, Alexander Laloo Hek, accused the Meghalaya government of “not taking any action against criminals behind the frequent attacks on the state’s linguistic minority communities.”
The Assam Linguistic Minority Development Board Chairperson was in Shillong following the recent attacks on the minority community in Lumdiengjri area and then at Jaiaw area in Shillong. “It’s the failure of the government for the lawlessness prevailing in the state. Why this hatred and why the government is not taking action,” Dev asked, and demanded stern action against such criminals.
Stating that such attacks have been occurring for a long time, the former BJP legislator said, the government is not keen in undertaking proper investigation or arresting those behind such attacks.
“The linguistic minority groups don’t have much influence politically, economically, socially but they are Indian citizens, they feel neglected and they feel insecure,” he added.
Dev said that the tribal population in Meghalaya are “secured politically, socially and economically” and the minority community constitute only nine percent and can’t impact socio-politically. “I have met someKhasi group leaders, intellectuals and human rights activists and urged them to exert pressure on the government so that such attacks are stopped in Shillong,” he informed.
On police inaction, Dev said one of the recent stabbing incidents occurred near a police station in which three policemen were present nearby. “Police would act only on the direction of the government if the government is strict, the police would take stern action,” he said urging MLAs and MPs to speak openly about these attacks.
“It’s a conflict between criminals and law abiding citizens,” he said. Dev further said that he had also suggested the Governor to take up with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for setting up a Linguistic Minority Development Board in Meghalaya.
“The linguistic minority communities would be looked after by this board as they feel insecure,” he said. Condemning such attacks, State BJP legislator Hek said the “tribal people in Meghalaya are not communal” but there are some anti-socials and the government is not taking action.
“It’s the failure of the government why they can’t take action. There hasn’t been a single arrest. Everyone has a right to live anywhere in the country as long as they are Indian citizens,” Hek, a former minister in the ruling MDA government, said.
