Summer of 2018

Shillong, June 2018.

People in general are blissfully numb and one often hears that Shillong is now peaceful. Well, partly yes but that is because most of the non-tribal population is already gone!

June 2018 was when similar issues resurfaced again.  How and why?

History

The so called Dalit Sikhs are one of the earliest non-tribal settlers in Shillong. The place they settled down came to be known as Punjabi or Sweepers’ Lane. Yes, these people did the entire manual scavenging job.

It is also believed that an attempt has been made several times to shift the colony to the city outskirts. The Sikhs have ever refused as this land was supposed to be given for permanent settlement.

How did it start?

On May 31, there was a minor scuffle between girls of that community and a local bus driver and his friends who had supposedly teased them or blocked their way when they went to fetch water. It is believed that a compromise was reached however a whatasapp message that was doing the rounds claiming that the local boys had died added fuel to the communal tension that existed through generations already.

Consequences

Tension prevailed for a week or so, and curfew was imposed which is a normal Shillong phenomenon, the residents have grown up with! Not just that, the army had to conduct flag marches. The mobile internet services were suspended as a measure to curb spreading of rumors.  Incidents of stone throwing, hurling petrol bombs happened in nooks are corners of the city. Again, an age old Shillong phenomenon!

And the Sense of Community

The entire Punjab stood in support for the Sikh community. The Punjab cabinet approved compensation to the Sikh community residing in Shillong and affected by the clashes. The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee and Shiromani Akali Dal Badal leaders took to the cause of the community and urged the Government to take appropriate measures and steps to ensure their safety.

Retrospection

Contrast this with the riots affecting the Bengali community over various periods of time in history of Shillong and one will hardly find any instance of support from West Bengal. The then Government of India  hardly paid any attention, partly because they were not interested and largely because there were no pressure groups. 

The sense of Community in WB is only limited to where their ego gets a boost...that's it!