As the government of Meghalaya, the Shillong Municipal Board, the Autonomous Hill Council and others have failed to file their replies to the petition of the City Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee seeking orders from the court for no relocation of the Sikhs from their present habitat, the single bench of Judge S. R. Sen of the Shillong High Court has directed the government to maintain peace through an order on 1 November 2018 and has asked the respondent parties to file their replies within four weeks.

Furthermore the High Court of Meghalaya has passed a directive that peace should be maintained in the area of the Punjabi Colony and the Deputy Commissioner of the East Khasi Hills area P S Dkhar was directed to ensure that there is no untoward incident of any kind. The Deputy Commissioner has apprised the media that the magisterial enquiry report in the 31 May violence earlier this year has been submitted to the government’s High Level committee and that they would take the next step.  

Speaking exclusively on the phone line from Shillong to this reporter, President of the City Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee said, “We have a status-quo order from the National Commission for Minorities and a “maintain peace” order from the High Court. We hope that the government of Meghalaya’s High Level Committee will not take any illegal and anti-people step.”

“Shillong is our home for the last two centuries and we are committed to live here in peace and cooperation with all communities, including the local tribes. We are attached to this land. We will live up to the Sikh ideals of brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God and always pray and work for Sarbat da Bhala -welfare of all humankind,” said Gurjeet Singh when asked about why they insist on living in the Punjabi lane area.  

Meanwhile, the East Khasi Hills SP Davis Marak has told the media that vigil would be maintained and traffic restrictions will be in place to avoid any disturbance to peace in the region.

Shillong, 4 November 2018, WSN News Bureau