One stabbed in Meghalaya, Assam rescues 350 workers

SHILLONG/GUWAHATI: A non-tribal was stabbed in Shillong on Thursday even as Assam said it rescued at least 350 of its people from Ichamati, the scene of last week's violence that led to the current tense situation in Meghalaya.
Meghalaya Police said a group of masked men attacked S Islam with knives in the Mawkhar area of the city. The 21-year-old man from Assam's Barpeta district works as a house painter to eke out a living. Doctors at Shillong Civil Hospital, where Islam was admitted, said he is out of danger.
An Assam government official said, "They (migrant workers) didn't get food for the last five to six days because of the curfew in Meghalaya and were scared to come out." Most of these people, including women, were from Assam's Kokrajhar and Dhurbri districts and were working in limestone quarries in Meghalaya.
Ashok Kumar Singhi, MLA from Assam's Bilasipara (East), said, "The government has acted promptly. These people were in great distress. We will rescue everyone stuck in Meghalaya."
Meghalaya officials said the migrant labourers from Assam were working in Ichamati where an activist of Khasi Students' Union (KSU) had been killed on February 28 in a clash with non-tribals living there.
Many migrant workers had hid themselves in jungles
The violence took place while the KSU was holding an ant-CAA rally. Ichamati is in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district bordering Bangladesh.
Reports said after the Ichamati violence, many of the migrant workers had first hid themselves in nearby jungles and later sought refuge in a BSF camp. After this, they were asked to go to the local police station where they were advised to leave the area.
Meghalaya Police said the overall situation in the state is "by and large normal," even though sporadic violence was reported from a few more places. Miscreants attempted to torch a private vehicle bearing Assam registration number at Umsning Pata Rim bypass under Umsning police station. No one was injured. A group of people hurled stones at a taxi, belonging to Jai Moharram Rai and parked in front of the Catholic church in the Nongmynsong area in Shillong.
The Meghalaya government restored mobile internet services six days after it was suspended following the Ichamati clash. "We have restored mobile internet in four districts - East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi - as the situation is limping back to normal," additional secretary (home) Cyril VD Diengdoh said. Two days ago, the government had resumed mobile internet services in East and West Jaintia hills district.
DGP R Chandranathan said the crime investigation department would probe many of the cases related to the violence since last week.
Meanwhile, curfew was relaxed in Shillong and other areas of Meghalaya. Prohibitory orders imposed in the Iew Duh market area in Shillong on Saturday afternoon were lifted for seven hours at 6 am. Curfew was relaxed in Shillong's Police Bazaar and Anjali Cinema areas from 9 am till 4 pm, assistant IGP G Iangrai said.