On 20 January 2025, a dispute over the allotment of land to the Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) for the construction of a school led to a clash between villagers and police personnel in Mawkynrew village in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The clash resulted in injuries and prompted authorities to impose a curfew in the village.
The RKM School was established in 2022 after obtaining a no-objection certificate from the former Sordar (village chief). However, the current Sordar opposed this decision, claiming the land was not properly allocated. Many villagers argue that the land was originally designated for the Mawkynrew Sports Club and was reallocated without their consent.
On the day of the clash, around 250 villagers allegedly tried to dismantle the under-construction school buildings. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd, resulting in at least 12 injuries, including four police officers.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem, informed the media that “the land in question had been gifted by the village councils (Dorbar Shnong) to the Ramakrishna Mission in 2020 to start a school. Two villages, Mawkynrew and Mawlein, have community rights over this land. While the headman of the Mawlein village has continued, the headman of Mawkynrew has since changed and the successor is now opposing the construction of the school and wants it returned to the community. So around 250 of his supporters came and tried to dismantle the school.” He confirmed that no arrests had been made yet but stated that legal action would be taken against those involved in the violence.
Swami Anuragananda, secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram Sohra, lodged a police complaint, alleging that villagers had been incited through public announcements to attack the construction site. He urged the authorities to deploy additional forces to protect the school, which currently serves 168 students.
A senior police official stated that the villagers’ actions could be considered contempt of court, as a related case is pending in the High Court of Meghalaya. Former Mawlein village Sardar, P Wankhar, insisted that the villagers had no choice as the authorities failed to halt the construction.
An Assam-based Hindu rights group, Kutumba Surakshya Parishad, claimed that the opposition by Christian organisations reflected "religious intolerance" in Meghalaya. However, many civil society organisations like Shillong All Faiths Forum, the Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum, and the Hynñiewtrep Youth Council condemned this statement, asserting that the conflict was about land and not religion.
Sitting MLA Banteidor Lyngdoh mentioned that efforts were being made to bring all parties to a resolution. The Dorbar Shnongs of Mawkynrew and Mawlein have reportedly started talks to find a solution, including the option of giving an alternative plot to the sports club. The district administration has stated that construction cannot be stopped due to a High Court order supporting the school’s construction under a centrally sponsored scheme.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Complaint against procedural violations
Demand to cancel the project
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Religious/Sacred/Cultural value
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Disposed
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
High Court of Meghalaya
Case Number
WP(C) No. 79 of 2023
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
District Administration of East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya High Court
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Ramakrishna Mission Sohra Shillong All Faiths Forum Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum Hynñiewtrep Youth Council Kutumba Surakshya Parishad Mawkynrew Sports Club Dorbar Shnongs of Mawkynrew and Mawlein
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
