‘Assam TV report of eviction wrong’

SHILLONG, SEPT 2: The Meghalaya government on Tuesday assured that not a single students from Assam has left the North Eastern Hills University (NEHU) campus dispelling fear of an alleged report of an Assam based news channel alleging eviction of Assamese from Shillong  and instead clarified that labourers from Assam who were working without labourer license were push off as they had not completed the process of registration.

The Meghalaya government also said that it is in constant touch with its Assam counterparts assuring them that there was no communal tension in the state capital but unlicensed labourers were pushed back and this was given a communal colour by an Assam based TV channel who obviously went overboard reporting the event.

Meghalaya government also said that there was no connection between the scuffle between students in NEHU and pushing back of the unlicensed labourers, the East Khasi hills additional deputy commissioner Cyril VD Diengdoh told reporters on Tuesday, “ The two states (Assam and Meghalaya) are cooperating in all aspects to ensure that the fear is dispelled and confident is instill.”

An Assam-based news channels had allegedly reported mass exodus of Assam speaking people including students and labourers from Meghalaya giving it a complete communal colours that led to concern in neighbouring Assam.

Diengdoh said the two separate incidents are in no way related. He said “The internal clash among students of North Eastern Hills University (NEHU) is not at all connected to the incident where unlicensed labourers have left the city.”

Last week there was a scuffle at the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in which four students were assaulted by miscreants inside the campus forcing the authorities to tighten security and assured installation of CCTV cameras within the campus.

On Monday around 400 migrant labourers at the construction sites in IIM and NIFT in New Shillong Township were pushed back to where they came from (Assam) after they failed to prove their Identity of being an Indian and could not produce work permits or labour license issued by the concerned authorities here.

Diengdoh said, “The issue was also about the non-payment of wages by the construction company to the labourers.”  He informed that the Meghalaya government has also written to the district administration of Kamrup Metro assuring them that the labourers would join back work after completing the necessary procedure of obtaining the required licenses.

Urging citizens of both the states not to be apprehensive, Diengdoh said , “There are no untold incidents and no labourers was assaulted it is just an apprehension created and spread by section of the media from Assam.”

With regards to the incident in NEHU, Diengdoh said, “The NEHU authority has informed that everything is in order in the campus.” He further stated that police will accordingly take action to those involved in the brawl in the NEHU campus after investigation is completed.”

Diengdoh also informed that the police in Assam have also reassured the public that there is nothing to fear.

Diengdoh also said that the alleged report of vehicles from Meghalaya are being disrupted is wrong as there is nothing like and there are smooth flow of vehicles from both the states. – By Our Reporter