Rights and Responsibilities

What happened in Shillong on August 19 was something uglier than dissent when a black flag motorcycle rally called by the Khasi Students’ Union collapsed into violence that left 16 people injured, 31 vehicles damaged and two of them reduced to burnt shells, according to Meghalaya Police. Fifteen cases have been registered, and investigators are still piecing together who did what. Whatever the rally set out to achieve, this is what it will be remembered for. The flare up was not sudden but a spark waiting to be lit. The KSU had served a 15-day deadline on the state government on five demands- stricter regulation of migrant workers ; an overhaul of recruitment practices; , action on alleged irregularities at NEIGRIHMS; scrapping of the public hearing on the proposed Shree Cement project and the rollout of the Inner Line Permit. These are not dismissible demands. They also reflect anxieties about identity, employment and control over local resources that have shaped Meghalaya’s politics for decades. Yet the substance of those demands have been recklessly buried under the wreckage on the streets. If violence was spontaneous they do not explain about the selectivity of the attacks. Transport bodies allege that vehicles were checked for registration numbers before being targeted, with Assam plates singled out. In one instance, a family travelling from Assam to Shillong had their car attacked and a child was injured by shattered glass. That is not the collateral damage of an unruly crowd but a pattern, which has left Assam-based taxi and transport operators genuinely afraid of using Meghalaya’s roads. The fallout crossed the border almost immediately. In retaliation, transport bodies in Assam blocked stretches near Jorabat and Khanapara, choking inter-state traffic and pressing for compensation and safety guarantees. This is a consequence of a stand-off between the KSU and the NPP-led coalition government in Meghalaya. The fact that 15 days had elapsed without any action from the government led to the violence which then mutated into friction between two neighbouring states. Those who bear the brunt are commuters, drivers and small traders who have to absorb the cost of a dispute they had no part in. This forces an uncomfortable question on both governments. How should the state respond when legitimate grievances arrive wrapped in violence? The answer cannot be to dismiss the grievances, nor to excuse the violence. The KSU’s concerns merit a hearing at the negotiating table. Also, assault, arson and the profiling of vehicles by registration plate merit a hearing in court. Conflating the two does no favours to either. Meghalaya and Assam must now do two things simultaneously- restore confidence on the highways and ensure accountability for what happened. Investigations should be evidence-led and aimed at individuals who broke the law, not at an entire organisation. Collective punishment would only harden the resentment that fed the protest in the first place. Equally, impunity would send a clear signal that intimidation works– and invite a repeat performance. A basic distinction deserves restating. Peaceful protest is a protected right; violence is a crime. Student unions across the Northeast have historically been vital to public debate, giving voice to concerns that formal politics often ignores. That influence carries an obligation. When a movement turns violent, it does not sharpen its case – it forfeits the moral authority that made people listen in the first place.