The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), a pressure group in Meghalaya, took extreme measures against alleged illegal encroachment and drug peddling at Lum Survey, Shillong, by dismantling around 80 structures on 23 May 2024.
HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem had previously warned that the HYC would take matters into their own hands if the authorities did not act. Synrem justified the action by saying: "We had asked the district administration and the Defence Estate Officer (DEO) to immediately evict the illegal settlers from the said land. We went ahead because we did not receive any word from them till today."
The issue started on 25 April 2024, when the HYC voiced concerns over the illegal settlement of approximately 100 families near the Bara Bazar Fire and Emergency Station at Lum Survey, an area under the jurisdiction of the Shillong Cantonment Board (SCB). Synrem claimed that many settlers were outsiders, lacking voter identification cards issued in Meghalaya, and even alleged that some were Rohingya Muslims.
On 26 April, the HYC formally petitioned the Shillong Cantonment Board to evict the illegal settlers. During a meeting with SCB CEO Ayush Maurya, the HYC was informed that the land was under the DEO’s jurisdiction and that there was ongoing litigation regarding the land.
A joint inspection at Lum Survey was conducted on 8 May 2024, which involved additional magistrates, DEO officials from Guwahati, members of the Shillong Municipal Board, Shillong Cantonment Board, police, and HYC members. “During inspection we found that about 80-100 households were staying in the said plot of land by constructing huts used of plastics and other scrap materials and further on enquiry it is learned that these people were illegally staying there without any permission from the Cantonment Board or any other authority,” Synrem told reporters.
Following the demolition, the Superintendent of Police, Rituraj Ravi, informed the press that a case had been registered at Sadar Police Station against Synrem, Vice President Donbok Kharlyngdoh, Assistant General Secretary Isaac Basaiawmoit, and others involved in the eviction. “We have no problem in going to jail since we have done which was supposed to be the job of the government. The district administration should have evicted the illegal settlers immediately after the joint site inspection. But they decide not to act,” Kharlyngdoh told The Shillong Times
Synrem charged that Lum Survey had become a ‘den’ for drug dealing. He [emphasised](https://theshillongtimes.com/2024/05/24/hyc-dismantles-80-houses-at-lum-survey/#:~:text=“We cannot allow people involved,dismantling of their houses began.), "We cannot allow people involved in drug dealing to resume their illegal activities from this place."
Speaking to the media, the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills, Sibhi C Sadhu_, _stated, “The DEO and the district administration are on the “same page” in our effort to resolve the issue at the earliest legally. Nobody is allowed to take law into their own hands.”
Both Synrem and the Deputy Commissioner informed that the eviction issue of Lum Survey settlers is pending before the district court. The litigants in this case, according to reports, are not those whose houses were demolished, but rather three other people whose title suit against an eviction order by the Defense Estate Officer has been pending since 2006.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Complaint against procedural violations
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Urban
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Residential area
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Meghalaya District Court
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Other harassment
Displacement
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Around 80-100 houses and other structures were dismantled by HYC.
Date of Violation
May 23, 2024
Location of Violation
Lum Survey, Shillong
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Defence Estate Officer (DEO), Guwahati; Shillong Cantonment Board; District Administration of East Khasi Hills; Shillong Municipal Board; Meghalaya Human Rights Commission
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Hynniewtrep Youth Council
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Meghalaya
Sarup is a researcher and doctoral student in Political Science at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His research interests lie in the area of ethnic and land conflicts, political ecology and development and urban spaces of Northeast India. He has a Masters’ degree in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. He has previously done research/internships with NABARD, Oxford Microfinance Initiative (renamed Oxford Development Consultancy) and CSDS (Lokniti Programme).
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