Land dispute causes mob to vandalise the Ramakrishna Mission School in Meghalaya

Mob attacks under-construction school

Shillong (Meghalaya) – Dispute regarding the construction of a Ramkrishna Mission School, resulted in imposition of curfew in Mawkynrew village in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills District. On 20^thJanuary, approximately 250 persons attacked the school that was under construction and attempted to demolish it. This resulted in conflict between the Police and the mob. The Police lathi charged the violent mob. Many Police personnel and civilians were injured in this conflict.

1. The construction of this school in ongoing since 2022. East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said, the land in question had been gifted by the village councils (dorbar shnong) to the Ramakrishna Mission in 2020 to start a school. But now a dispute about the ownership of land has arisen between 2 villages, and the people from the second village are claiming the land.

2. The school land belongs to the village council of two villages. Two villages, Mawkynrew and Mawlein, have community rights over this land. While the headman of the Mawkynrew village has continued, the headman of Mawlein has since changed and is now opposing the construction of the school and wants it returned to the community.