Six Years After Massive Violence, Shillong’s Punjabi Lane Road Opens

Shillong’s Punjabi Lane, also known as Them Iew Mawlong, is open for traffic after a six-year gap following the 2018 unrest . The Motphran-Mawlong route closure was initially implemented in response to security concerns after the unrest in Them Iew Mawlong in 2018. Vehicular movement has officially resumed on the Mawlonghat to Bimola junction, the administration said today. 

The district administration has announced that vehicles can now take the Them Metor Road, connecting Mawlonghat to Bimola, from 8 am to 4 pm daily, under strict security.

Following a recent meeting between district authorities and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, it was decided to resume traffic movement through this route. 

East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtnger assured that a substantial security presence including CRPF, traffic police, and state police personnel have been deployed to ensure a safe and organized transition. 

Parallely, the state government is preparing to make a final decision on relocating 342 families from the Harijan Colony in Them Iew Mawlong, with plans for a resolution by the end of the year. 

The relocation proposal has been under review since the formation of a High-Level Committee in June 2018, led by Deputy Chief Minister Tynsong. 

Back in 2018, as unrest again broke out in Shillong over the migrant issue, life became uncertain for the residents of Punjabi Lane, the 200 year old settlement the protesters wanted to be relocated. An estimated 4,000 people live in the area. 

The colony — meant to house sweepers and workers of the municipality, mostly migrants from Punjab — became a flashpoint in the 1980s. 

The dominant Khasi tribals want the Punjabis to be relocated from the donated tribal land that had gone to the government post-Independence. Conflicts have erupted on and off over the years, and progressively escalated.