KHNAM demands Govt to revoke 144 CrPC imposition in Shillong city

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 12, 2023

Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) on Wednesday demanded the state government to immediately revoke the imposition of 144 CrPC in the entire Shillong city following a recent scuffle between two groups of people. The party has also threatened to approach the court, if the demand is not heeded.

“We demand that the Government immediately revoke the order to stop people from opening their petty shops to earn their living. We do not want to embarrass the Government by approaching the court, which we will if we are forced to,” working president of the party Thomas Passah said in a statement.

Passah said the imposition of 144 Crpc by the East Khasi Hills deputy commissioner in and around the city and also prohibit opening of shops after 10 pm is a ‘manifestation’ and a ‘confession’ of the police department that they are incapable of maintaining law and order on their own.

“By this order the State government is loudly making a statement that the State Police and its machinery cannot ensure the safety of the public and the only way to ensure law and order is to lock people inside their homes. If that is the case then even terrorists can ensure law and order we do not need police,” he said.

Terming the order as a ‘coward step’ by the government and the DC, Passah said due to unemployment most of the households are trying to earn their livelihood by selling eatables at night at Khyndailad, Laitumkhrah etc. just to be able to meet their ends.

“Now because of some drunken quarrel and to hide the failure of the police department to tackle it, it is not justified to force people to stop earning for their needs,” he said.

He added, “Another important point is that, why closed the petty food shops why not closed the pups/clubs centres where people gather to be intoxicated, we do not see that eating a plate of rice at 11 pm in Khyndailad or Laitumkhrah intoxicate a person.”

“Now the imposition of 144 Crpc and forcing shops to closed before 10 pm is an attempt by the Govt to stop people from trying to earn their daily bread, thereby affecting their lives and the lives of the family members and most importantly this decision of the Government clearly violated right of the citizen given to them under “Article 21, which clearly states that right to livelihood is an integral part of the Right to life. If one’s Right to livelihood would be deprived, then it means that we are taking that person’s Right to life.”