UNITED SIKHS have led the relief efforts at Ground Zero in Shillong, India since June 1, 2018, as the only NGO providing humanitarian aid amidst the ongoing conflict. As described by local news reports and UNITED SIKHS first-responder personnel, the crisis in Shillong started when a mob of 200-300 individuals gathered at Punjabi Lane and attacked police officers and residents near Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara on the evening of May 31, 2018.
The mob activity was reportedly due to retribution against Sikh leaders for assisting a local woman who had been harassed by a Shillong Transport Public Service. Unable to pacify the mob, a curfew was imposed by the state government of Meghalya on June 1. The government has yet to restore phone and internet access, and the neighborhood has been on lock down for days.
Outside Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara, Shillong
“UNITED SIKHS have provided fire extinguishers to the local community, as they continue to face threats of petrol bomb attacks,” said Mohinderjit Singh, UNITED SIKHS Sikh Aid Project Coordinator leading efforts in Shillong. �We have reached out to local officials requesting additional security. Conflicting news reports are claiming the Sikh community has not been attacked, and this is completely contrary to what we are seeing on the ground. The community had to rescue themselves from fires using buckets of water, as the fire brigade was unavailable at the time.�
Women and minorities across India persistently face a high level of devastating human rights violations, such as this one. In an effort to reach a peaceful resolution to the alarming violence in Shillong, our International Civil & Human Rights Advocacy (ICHRA) legal team has alerted our government partners in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. We have also held meetings with local officials in Shillong, including Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
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The Shillong community remains on watch. Our relief team is actively working to mediate the situation and bring all affected parties together. An associate of the United Nations, UNITED SIKHS urge local members of the community to refrain from engaging in violence while remaining steadfast in our mission to advocate for minority communities in need around the world. We are providing ongoing food distribution and fire safety training for local residents and need your support.
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