Delhi violence had shown that bloodshed and hostility is going to take the nation nowhere except to the path of self-annihilation. And even if wounds are very much visible, recipients of which are both people and property, with desperate efforts currently on to return to normalcy, another unsettling news of a similar kind has arrived, and this time, unfortunately from the Northeast. The incidents of violence in Meghalaya taking place over the last four days has unnerved all and in this case it’s sectarian in character, unlike Delhi’s which had been communal to the core. But the queer commonality which will allow placing both the cases in a single bracket is the ‘common contributing factor’, which is unquestionably the CAA. It’s really hard, even after painstaking search efforts through the Indian judicial history of evolution of laws and statues to cite a single piece of legislation, which had such a deep capacity of creating confusion, turmoil and disruption of normal life. And with no dilution of the respective steadfast standings by the ‘believers’ and ‘haters’ of this proven disrupter called CAA as on date, it will not be very surprising if it proves to be a motivating cause for such future tribulations.
Reconstructing the news that have so far been reported, it can be said the Meghalaya violence has now taken an ugly sectarian turn with locals and non-locals the warring factions. Deaths, multiple injuries, shops set on fire etc- all the characteristic features noticeable aplenty during a typical mass violence had taken place and the triggering incident, as reported, has been a rally organised in opposition to CAA and for conveying demands for immediate implementation of ILP mechanism in Meghalaya. It’s a matter of fact that CAA has triggered a wave of apprehensions in the entire Northeast with anxiety reaching high levels that it will encourage influx across the borders from Bangladesh, pushing the indigenous population on the verge of an existential threat on all quarters- numerical, economic, social, cultural and so on. This is why the clamour for ‘protective shield(s)’ had gone louder, as it has been the case of Meghalaya where the demand for an ILP regime had been reiterated multiple times since passing of CAA, despite applicability of the Sixth Schedule, which officially makes the autonomous councils decisive authorities to protect land, tradition and customs of the indigenous people. And although a resolution seeking it has been passed in their State Assembly, the final nod from Union Home Ministry is still awaited.
An unrest has erupted and it must end before snowballing into something major and all stakeholders must play their respective roles. Common sense and rationality can solve the problem and bring peace in Meghalaya. Delhi has taught enough lessons. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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