Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 22 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday welcomed the outcome of the joint Assam-Meghalaya meeting held in Guwahati following the August 19 incident in Shillong, saying the concerns and sentiments of the people of Assam had been duly acknowledged and addressed.
Several vehicles, including a few Assam-registered vehicles, were damaged by some protesters in Shillong on Wednesday during a black flag bike rally organised by Khasi Students' Union, which turned violent with reports of stone pelting, attacks on vehicles, and arson at different parts of Shillong.
"I welcome the outcome of the meeting. The concerns and sentiments of the people of Assam have been duly acknowledged and addressed," he said.
He said the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the Meghalaya government, along with the arrest of those responsible, were steps in the right direction. Sarma also welcomed the commitments made for the safety and unhindered movement of people and vehicles from Assam.
The Governments of Meghalaya and Assam held a joint meeting at Koinadhara State Guest House on Saturday to deliberate on developments following the incident in Shillong on August 19, with both states agreeing on measures to ensure the safety of people, tourists and vehicles travelling between the two states.
The meeting was led by Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister S Dhar and Assam Minister Atul Bora and was attended by senior officers of both state governments. The discussions lasted for more than three hours.
The Meghalaya government expressed regret over the August 19 incident and assured the meeting that strong action would be taken against those involved.
The Meghalaya government also informed the meeting that the President, Vice-President and General Secretary of the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) had been arrested by invoking the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act.
So far, 15 FIRs have been registered in connection with the incident, the Meghalaya government informed. Five masked persons have also been identified as being involved in the incident, particularly in the attacks on Assam-registered vehicles.
The Meghalaya government said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been constituted to identify all the miscreants involved in the violence in Shillong, particularly those responsible for attacks on Assam-registered vehicles, and ensure their prosecution in accordance with law.
More than 3,770 Assam-registered vehicles have already been safely escorted out of Meghalaya into Assam.
The Assam Control Room has received 54 distress calls involving 175 persons who are being assisted in evacuation. These include 22 private vehicles and five tourist vehicles. The Meghalaya government said its Control Room has received 379 distress calls so far and steps have been taken to assist people with safe transit.
Most stranded travellers and vehicles, including approximately 400-500 vehicles that were earlier held up in Meghalaya, have crossed key transit corridors, including the Umiam Lake section.
The two governments also decided that any passenger or vehicle yet to be transferred to Assam will be safely escorted and transferred within the next 48 hours. A dedicated exercise will be undertaken to ensure that every tourist or vehicle wishing to return to Assam is facilitated and safely escorted.
A dedicated coordination mechanism will also be established between the IG, Special Branch, Assam, and the IG, Law & Order, Meghalaya, along with dedicated helplines. An online support forum will also be activated to assist in locating and facilitating stranded individuals.
The dedicated helplines include WhatsApp at 91 810 14 888 and landline 0361-2381-511. The mechanism will remain operational until the situation is fully normalised.
Permanent district-level joint committees will also be constituted, comprising the Deputy Commissioner, Nongpoh, and the District Commissioner, Kamrup Metropolitan, along with police officers of the corresponding level from both districts. The committees will work to ensure that day-to-day issues arising along the inter-State border are resolved promptly.
A joint committee on tourist transport will also be constituted, comprising Commissioner/Secretary-level Transport authorities of both states and representatives of tourist vehicle associations. The committee will facilitate and regulate tourist transport movement and safeguard the shared tourism interests of Assam and Meghalaya.
The two governments further agreed to take necessary measures to ensure safe and secure transit for vehicles travelling from southern parts of Assam to other parts of the state, including movement from the Barak Valley through Meghalaya. Similar arrangements will be made for people travelling from Meghalaya to other parts of the state through Assam.
The Meghalaya government reiterated that it would take responsibility for the safety and security of all tourists and vehicles travelling from Assam and other parts of the country into Meghalaya during their stay and movement within the state.