Thursday, August 11 2005 12:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Shillong: Normal life was paralyzed in Shillong due to indefinite curfew clamped by the East Khas Hills district authorities even as reports indicated the proposed public rally by women's organization was postponed.

As the authorities clamped curfew in Shillong town from 6 pm yesterday (Aug 10, 2005) and army staged flag march, the city roads wore a deserted look with no sign of any other vehicles except those of the security forces. Offices, education and business establishments were all remained closed.

According to reports, the women's organizations, which till yesterday was firm in holding the rally denouncing police action on its members on August 5, postponed today's (Aug 11, 2005) rally as 'tactical move' to August 15 next as curfew could not be clamped on the Independence Day.

Army personnel along with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state police were staging flag march in different areas of the town although there was no report of any untoward incident so far.

The women's organization 'Seng Kynthei' demanded the release of two arrested leaders of Khasi Students Union (KSU) booked under stringent Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act and marched towards the secretariat on August 5 when the police used water cannons and teargas shells to disperse them.

Angry over the 'excess', they called for two-day dawn-to-dusk bandh on August 9 and 10 and proposed to hold rally today prompting the authorities to clamp indefinite curfew in the town.

The bandh was also a part of agitation spearheading by KSU and other 20 social bodies to protest Lapang Government's failure to solve the Meghalaya Board of School Education imbroglio.