Meghalaya group burns Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s effigy, stages protest outside Chief Minister Sangma’s residence

Members of the umbrella Save Hynniewtrep Mission were protesting the government’s failure in resolving the State’s 50-year-old border conflict with Assam

Members of an umbrella of pressure groups in Meghalaya called the Save Hynniewtrep Mission on Saturday burnt effigies of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and others to protest the government’s failure in resolving the State’s 50-year-old border conflict with Assam.

They also staged a protest outside the residence of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma in State capital Shillong.

Hynniewtrep is associated with the pride of the Khasis, one of three principal matrilineal ethnic communities of Meghalaya.

Roy Kupar Synrem, one of the mission’s leaders, said they had burnt the effigies of Mr. Shah, State Home Minister Lakhmen Rymbui and others because they had promised but failed to resolve the inter-State boundary dispute during the 75th year of the country’s Independence.

Meghalaya has been experiencing stray incidents of violence, arson and attacks on tourist vehicles since November 22 when six people, including five villagers, were killed in a firing on the border with Assam.

The Meghalaya groups want the Assam police and forest personnel responsible for the shooting to be brought to Meghalaya for trial and punishment.