Vehicles torched, statues vandalised during students' bike rally in Shillong

PTI, August 19, 2026, Shillong : Statues of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were allegedly vandalised, and at least two government vehicles were torched on Wednesday during a bike rally organised by the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) here, police said.

The rally passed through various parts of Shillong, during which several vehicles were attacked and partially damaged, while at least two government vehicles were set ablaze, officials said.

Statues of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, erected at a colony, were also vandalised.

The rally was part of the KSU's ongoing agitation over a five-point charter of demands, including implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, reforms in recruitment through the Meghalaya Public Service Commission and District Selection Committees (DSCs), and stricter regulation of migrant workers.

The influential student body has also raised issues concerning hiring of nurses at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) and demanded changes in the recruitment process.

The KSU has separately been opposing the manner in which the public hearing for Shree Cement Ltd's proposed limestone mining project at Lum Syrman in East Jaintia Hills was conducted and has demanded that the proceedings be declared null and void.

The union had issued a 15-day ultimatum to the state government. Later, it announced a black-flag bike rally across Shillong, claiming that its demands had not been addressed.

During the day, KSU members reached the main gate of the Meghalaya Secretariat and put up flags as part of the protest. The flags were removed by police personnel.

The statue of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji at the Relief and Rehabilitation Colony, which was established for people who fled erstwhile East Pakistan in the 1960s, were also vandalised during the rally, officials said.

Police and security personnel were deployed in different parts of the city following the incidents, and further details on the extent of damage and any arrests were awaited.