Cheristerfield encounter: Voice of Mawlai people hold “Knife surrender rally”; burn pages of show-cause notice
As the rally passed through different localities towards Mawlai Stand Bus, people could be seen coming out of their houses and putting knives on the back of the pick-up truck as a sign of support to the protest. The protestors also raised anti-police slogans on their way.
SHILLONG:
The Sur ki nong Mawlai (Voice of Mawlai People), a conglomeration of NGOs, held a “Knife Surrender Rally” from Mawlai Petrol Pump to Mawlai Stand Bus, in Shillong on Monday.
Before commencing the rally, the protestors and family members of late Cheristerfield Thangkhiew “surrendered” a number of Khasi knives on the rear of a pick-up truck. The demonstration was symbolic of the knife the police had accused late Cheristerfield Thangkhiew of attacking them, justifying the killing of the ex-militant as an act of self-defence, on the night of August 13.
“We use a knife in our day-to-day lives but in the eyes of the state, this is a weapon. Today, we have surrendered the knives, but not our demands,” said Sur ki Nong Mawlai leader, Marbud Dkhar.
As the rally passed through different localities towards Mawlai Stand Bus, people could be seen coming out of their houses and putting knives on the back of the pick-up truck as a sign of support to the protest. The protestors also raised anti-police slogans on their way.
At the bus stand, protestors burnt pages of the show-caused notice that were served by the District Administration of East Khasi Hills to six members of the conglomeration on August 31 for organising unauthorised public gatherings violating COVID protocols on August 25 and 26.
Notably, the last date notified by the district administration to reply to the show-cause notices was also today.
“You want peace or you want to see consequences?” said Donbok Kharlyngoh, another leader of the conglomeration, as a warning to the government, adding, “We will gather the people as one voice – sur ki paidbah Hynniewtrep (voice of Hynniewtrep people) and our demand for the suspension of the cops involved in the killing of Thankhiew will only grow louder.”
He also added that the conglomeration will seek an appointment with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and “surrender their knives” to him.
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