A vehicle with a shattered windscreen during a protest at Jorabat along the Assam-Meghalaya border, in Guwahati, on August 20, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya called for restraint from people of both States on Thursday (August 20, 2026) to allow normalcy to return following the violence that erupted at a protest rally in Shillong on Wednesday (August 19, 2026).
Thirty-one vehicles, mostly Assam-registered, were damaged, at least a dozen people were assaulted, and some vehicles were torched during a bike rally organised by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU). The bikers wore black masks and covered the registration plates of their two-wheelers.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said he spoke with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the violence and the reactions that followed, which affected common people and commuters in both States.
“We have agreed to work together, as always, to normalise the situation. Designated Cabinet Ministers from both States will meet to take the discussions forward and explore ways to restore peace, trust, and normalcy,” Mr. Sangma said.
“Meghalaya and Assam share deep bonds, and we must work together to protect them,” he said.
Mr. Sarma said he conveyed Assam’s concern over the recent incidents in Shillong to Mr. Sangma. Insisting that deep historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties bind the two States, he said, “Mutual respect, restraint, and sensitivity must guide us at all times.”
Published – August 21, 2026 02:00 am IST
