The Meghalaya Assembly building
Shillong, Mar 25 : The Meghalaya government today introduced the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order (Autonomous District) Amendment Bill, 2010, to quell bandhs and any form of agitation in the state through punitive measures.
According to the new bill, the maximum punishment for those who violate the law is seven years’ imprisonment and the minimum is three years. The violators of the law will also be asked to compensate the government or private citizens if they destroy property during the agitation.
However, the immediate intention of the government is to prevent the pressure groups from agitating against uranium mining and the power deal with private companies, among others.
Earlier, the NGOs had launched protests in the state when the Meghalaya cabinet had banned bandhs and other forms of agitation, banking on the ruling by the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court banning bandhs.
The pressure groups had reiterated that they would go ahead with the agitation programs to protest against the wrongdoing of the government.
Deputy chief minister in charge Bindo Lanong today introduced the bill after making amendment to the old Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order (Autonomous district) Act XVI of 1953, which, in fact, aimed at quelling the rebellious Naga militant movement in the Northeast.
The Meghalaya government has also inserted a new Section 8A to the 1953 act to include penalty.
According to the new section, “Individuals, organizations, association of persons or group of persons whether singly or collectively do anything by whatever means to cause abstention from normal activities by the members of the public and employees will be punishable.”
Besides the new section says, “If anyone disrupts normal life or does any act being subversive of law and order or destroys public or private property will be guilty of offence with imprisonment for three years and upwards and not more than seven years and also will be liable to compensate the government, the public and the private citizens for the loss suffered by them.”
On January 6 this year, Gauhati High Court declared bandhs “illegal and unconstitutional”, saying these violate citizens’ fundamental rights.
The high court verdict was passed after hearing of two separate public interest litigations (PILs) filed by two citizens’ groups in 2005.
The petitioners had prayed that since frequent bandhs were having a negative impact on the economy and education, they should be declared illegal and banned.
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