Last week, Meghalaya’s capital city of Shillong was placed under an extended curfew after violent protests erupted in parts of the town. The protests were the results of the killing of former militant, Chesterfield Thangkhiew, of the banned military force, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), during a police operation.
According to the Meghalaya Police, it undertook the operation following “irrefutable evidence” that the previous militant was involved within the explosion of an improvised device (IED) in Shillong. The raid, which befell in his home, has raised allegations of human rights abuse and has drawn widespread condemnation thanks to how the operation was conducted.
Soon after the operation, many Thangkhiew supporters marched through the town with black flags to attend his funeral procession. However, the funeral then became a hotspot for extremist militancy, as fringe elements seized the chance to prepare support. What initially began as a legitimate demand for accountability after the disproportionate use of force on the accused, eventually developed into a campaign for violence and extremism. Videos and pictures of crowds pelting stones at enforcement officials went viral on social media. Society looked on in shock as visuals of masked men atop an SUV brandished rifles stolen from police personnel.
