On 31 May 2018 a scuffle between residents of Them Iew Mawlong, the Dalit Sikh colony in central Shillong also called Punjabi Lane or Sweepers' Colony, and the crew of a state transport bus grew into nights of clashes between Khasi crowds and police. Curfew was imposed from 1 June, the Army held flag marches, and mobile internet was cut until 13 June. The Meghalaya government then set up a high-level committee on relocating the colony; eight years and many High Court hearings later, no relocation has taken place.
Key takeaways
- The Shillong clashes began on 31 May 2018 after an altercation between residents of Them Iew Mawlong (Punjabi Lane) and the driver and helper of a state transport bus; the two sides signed a compromise at a police station that afternoon.
- That night, after rumours on WhatsApp falsely claimed Khasi youths had been killed, crowds attacked the colony and fought police, and curfew was imposed in 14 localities of Shillong from 4 am on 1 June 2018.
- The Army, requisitioned by the state, held flag marches and sheltered about 500 people; mobile internet in Shillong stayed off from 1 to 13 June 2018.
- Khasi groups including the Khasi Students' Union demanded the "illegal settlers" be evicted; colony residents say a Khasi chief gave the land to their ancestors more than 150 years ago.
- A high-level committee under Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, formed on 4 June 2018, reported in September 2021, and the Meghalaya Cabinet decided in October 2021 to relocate the residents.
- The Meghalaya High Court has heard the case for years; in July 2023 it said the Harijan Panchayat Committee was "playing fast and loose" and asked the state to close the matter quickly.
- As of July 2026 the state was still choosing between its blueprint for flats on municipal land and a request for Army land, and no relocation had happened.
Background: the colony at Them Iew Mawlong
The colony sits beside Iewduh (Bara Bazaar), one of the busiest markets in the Northeast. Locals call it Them Metor or Sweepers' Lane IANS via Morung Express. Its residents are mainly Dalit Sikhs whose families came from Punjab under British rule to work as sweepers and manual scavengers. After Independence they were employed by the Shillong Municipal Board, government offices, hospitals and the cantonment Scroll.
Residents say the Syiem (traditional chief) of Mylliem gave them the land. Gurjit Singh, secretary of the residents' body, the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC), told Scroll in 2018 that they held a 2008 letter from the Syiem acknowledging that his predecessors had allotted them the plot, linked to an agreement with the British dated 10 December 1863 Scroll.
Attempts to remove the colony are older than 2018. An eviction order from the 1970s was stayed in 1986 by the Shillong bench of the Gauhati High Court, and groups such as the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) and the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) had long called for the settlers to be moved Scroll. For more than two decades, IANS reported, Khasi civil society groups had demanded the relocation on the ground that most residents were "illegal settlers" IANS via Business Standard.
How it started: a bus, a scuffle and a rumour
Accounts of the first incident differ. Claim · Residents Some Sikh residents told Scroll that Khasi men harassed a Sikh woman, and that she and four other women beat them. Claim · Khasi side The Khasi side said the men were assaulted by men from the colony after an argument about parking a Meghalaya State Transport Corporation bus Scroll. IANS reported that a bus conductor was allegedly assaulted by residents IANS via The Wire, while PTI described the victim as a bus handyman PTI via Deccan Herald. Most reports date the scuffle to Thursday 31 May 2018; some later PTI and Wire reports give 29 May PTI via Tribune.
The two sides reached a written compromise at the Cantonment police station that afternoon. In it the bus driver said he bore no grudge, and recorded that Rs 4,000 had been paid for the treatment of the conductor and two passengers Scroll. PTI reported that the handyman and three others were released from hospital after first aid PTI via Deccan Herald.
False That night messages on WhatsApp claimed that two Khasi boys had been killed by colony residents. A crowd gathered near the colony and clashed with the CRPF and state police Scroll. PTI said trouble escalated when rumours spread that the handyman had died PTI via Deccan Herald.
Timeline of the unrest
Mob and stone-pelting
A crowd tried to march on the colony and stoned police; a journalist and four civilians were hurt. Police said four vehicles were set on fire at Motphran, Umsohson, Rynjah and Nongmynsong, and three stone-pelters were arrested with petrol bombs and sharp weapons IANS via National Herald.
Curfew
Deputy Commissioner Peter S Dkhar imposed curfew in areas under Lumdiengjri police station and the Cantonment beat house IANS via The Wire, covering at least 14 localities PTI. Mobile internet was suspended Assam Tribune.
Army flag march
The Army, requisitioned by the state, marched through curfew areas. A mob torched a shop and a house and damaged vehicles; Superintendent of Police (City) Stephan Rynjah was hit by a rod PTI via Deccan Herald.
Rescue and arrests
The Army sheltered about 500 people, including 200 women and children, at its cantonment. Four people accused of assaulting three local boys were arrested, and 11 had been picked up in the case PTI via Deccan Herald.
CM speaks; violence continues
Curfew was lifted for a few hours. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said police had found some people who were "funding stone-pelters". Violence broke out again that evening in defiance of the curfew The Quint.
Committee formed
At an all-party meeting the government decided to form a seven-member high-level committee under Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong Newmai via Morung Express. A city-wide curfew from 4 pm to 5 am took effect The Quint.
Internet back
Mobile internet returned in the Khasi-Jaintia region. From 14 June curfew in the tension-hit localities was cut to 8 pm to 5 am, with a 10 pm to 5 am night curfew for the rest of the city IANS via Morung Express Assam Tribune.
IANS counted the internet cut as 13 days and the Hindustan Times as 12 Hindustan Times. PTI later reported that the area and parts of the city stayed under curfew for over a month PTI via Assam Tribune.
Both accounts
Residents' account (Harijan Panchayat Committee)
Gurjit Singh admitted that men from the colony had been involved in the assault but said the matter was settled at the police station, and claimed the violence that followed was aimed at driving the community out. About half the residents sheltered in the gurdwara. Residents said petrol bombs and stones were thrown at houses and that they put out a fire themselves; the gurdwara was not attacked Scroll. The HPC says its members are the lawful owners of the land by a Syiem's gift that his successors cannot take back, It accused the high-level committee of bias and called its 2021 report "patently illegal" EastMojo.
Meghalaya government's account
Government's position Chief Minister Conrad Sangma denied that people were displaced, hungry and beaten, saying "People are very much safe and that is our commitment" The Quint. Tynsong said the committee was "not to buy time" and that the government wanted a permanent solution IANS via Business Standard. The state treats the land as government land acquired from the Syiem, recognises 184 government-employee families as legal settlers, and has described the others as "illegal settlers" to be relocated Outlook. In 2019 Urban Affairs Minister Hamlet Dohling said the land "belongs to the state government" The Wire.
Claim · KSU KSU spokesperson Donald V Thabah said the unrest was pent-up anger at past assaults on Khasi villagers by colony residents, not the parking row, and that over 80 protesters were treated for tear-gas injuries. The KSU, FKJGP and Hynniewtrep National Youth Front demanded punishment for the assault, compensation and eviction Scroll. In 2020 the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations said the demand was "nothing communal" and was about redeveloping an unhygienic, unsafe area Tribune.
Punjab and the Centre step in
On 3 June 2018 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh decided to send minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, MPs Gurjit Aujla and Ravneet Bittu and MLA Kuldip Singh Vaid to Shillong PTI via Assam Tribune. National Commission for Minorities member Manjit Singh Rai called relocation "not feasible" after a visit IANS via Business Standard. Opposition leader Mukul Sangma of the Congress wanted a judicial inquiry rather than a committee Morung Express.
In December 2018 the Punjab Cabinet approved Rs 60 lakh for affected Sikhs, Rs 50 lakh of it to rebuild the Khalsa Middle School NE Now. Tynsong called this "uncalled for", and Urban Affairs Minister Hamlet Dohling said Punjab "should not add fuel to the fire" NE Now.
On 31 May 2019 the Municipal Board pasted notices on nearly 300 homes asking residents to prove occupancy. The banned HNLC threatened residents, the Union Home Ministry sought a report, and a Punjab delegation led by Randhawa visited on 19 June 2019 The Wire PTI via Assam Tribune. Home Minister James Sangma assured it of protection NE Now.
The committee and the relocation decisions
- December 2018: On the HPC's petition alleging bias, the High Court told the committee not to disturb residents until the next hearing NE Now.
- April 2021: The High Court ordered both sides to maintain status quo Tribune.
- 28 September 2021: The committee submitted its report, three years after it was formed EastMojo.
- 7 October 2021: The Cabinet decided to relocate the "illegal settlers", move government employees to official quarters and take over the land through a tripartite agreement with the Syiem and the Municipal Board Outlook. Punjab Deputy CM Randhawa called the move "unjust" PTI via Morung Express.
- Late October 2021: The state took possession of 12,444.13 sq m; Tynsong said Rs 2 crore was paid to the Syiem. The HPC vowed to give the government "sleepless nights" PTI via Deccan Herald.
- April to July 2022: The HPC agreed to move on conditions, including one site for all 342 families EastMojo. A plan for Mawbah was dropped after locals objected EastMojo.
- 31 August 2022: The state chose the Municipal Board quarters on Bishop Cotton Road, to be rebuilt as 12 blocks of flats on 2.5 acres EastMojo. It rejected the HPC's demand for 200 sq m per family Tribune.
What the High Court said, 2022 to 2023
In October 2022 a Division Bench gave the HPC four weeks to respond to the blueprint Tribune. In February 2023 it asked the state to settle the matter right after the Assembly election Morung Express. On 7 June 2023 the Advocate-General said the HPC's counsel had agreed "in principle" to the blueprint, with changes Verdictum.
The HPC then said it had not agreed. On 3 July 2023 Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh recorded that a "false impression" had been given Bar and Bench.
It appears that the respondents are playing fast and loose both with the government and with the Court.
Meghalaya High Court, State of Meghalaya v. Harijan Panchayat Committee, 3 July 2023 (via Verdictum)
The court asked the government to bring the matter "to a close as expeditiously as possible" Verdictum.
Where things stand in 2026
Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, now in charge of Urban Affairs, called a meeting with the HPC for 7 May 2024 that he hoped would be the last Sentinel Assam. The HPC then asked for Army land. In December 2024 Dhar said Conrad Sangma would meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and that otherwise the blueprint would be used Hub Network. In April 2025 the state was seeking 2.5 to 3 acres of unused defence land opposite the colony, and the High Court deferred a hearing for talks Shillong Times.
On 6 July 2026 Dhar said a decision was likely by month-end, but the Army had not yet responded despite two or three meetings between the CM and the Defence Minister PTI via ThePrint. "If Plan A is not working, we will go with Plan B," he said Hub Network. No final decision or move had been reported by October 2026. In February 2023, central police still guarded both ends of the lane EastMojo.
Outcome
- Deaths: None reported in the sources reviewed.
- Injuries: At least 10, including police, by 2 June (PTI); the KSU claimed 80+ protesters treated.
- Arrests: Three stone-pelters on 31 May; four for the assault, 11 picked up by 2 June.
- Curfew and internet: Curfew from 1 June, partly lasting over a month; mobile internet off 1 to 13 June.
- Inquiry: No judicial inquiry; a high-level committee on relocation instead.
- Relocation: Decided in 2021 and 2022, not carried out by October 2026.
Questions people ask
What happened in Shillong in May and June 2018?
A scuffle on 31 May 2018 between residents of Them Iew Mawlong (Punjabi Lane) and a state bus crew was followed, after false rumours that Khasi youths had been killed, by attacks on the colony and clashes with police. Curfew, Army flag marches and a mobile internet cut followed.
What is Punjabi Lane or Them Metor?
It is a settlement of mainly Dalit Sikh families next to Iewduh (Bara Bazaar) in Shillong, also called Sweepers' Colony or Harijan Colony. Their ancestors were brought by the British to work as sweepers.
How long was the internet shut in Shillong in 2018?
Mobile internet was suspended from 1 June and restored on 13 June 2018. IANS counted it as 13 days, the Hindustan Times as 12. Broadband stayed on.
Why does the Meghalaya government want to relocate the colony?
The government says the land now belongs to the state and that many residents are illegal settlers. It wants to rehouse 342 families and redevelop the area. Residents say the land was gifted to their ancestors and oppose eviction.
Has the Punjabi Lane relocation happened?
No. As of July 2026 the government was weighing its blueprint for flats on municipal land and a request for Army land, and no move had been reported by October 2026.
What did the Meghalaya High Court say?
It ordered status quo in 2021, asked both sides to settle, and in July 2023 said the Harijan Panchayat Committee was "playing fast and loose" and asked the state to close the matter quickly.
Sources
- IANS via The Wire: Curfew imposed in Shillong after violent clashes, 1 June 2018
- IANS via National Herald: Curfew imposed in Shillong after violent clash, 1 June 2018
- PTI via Deccan Herald: Army holds flag march in restive Shillong, 3 June 2018
- Scroll: In Khasi-Sikh violence, social media rumours helped escalate tension, June 2018
- The Quint: Shillong unrest, curfew to be imposed after clashes erupt again, 4 June 2018
- PTI via Assam Tribune: Punjab Govt deputes 4-member team to Shillong, 3 June 2018
- Newmai via Morung Express: Congress slams Conrad Sangma government, 5 June 2018
- IANS via Business Standard: Minorities commission against re-locating Shillong's Sikhs, 6 June 2018
- IANS via Morung Express: Mobile internet restored in Shillong after 13 days, 13 June 2018
- Assam Tribune: Mobile internet restored in Shillong, 13 June 2018
- Hindustan Times (PressReader): 12 days after clashes, mobile internet restored in Shillong, 14 June 2018
- NE Now: Punjab Cabinet okays Rs 60 lakh relief for Sikhs affected in Shillong clash, 12 December 2018
- NE Now: Meghalaya leaders critical of Punjab's help to Shillong Sikhs, 15 December 2018
- NE Now: Meghalaya HC orders HLC not to disturb Punjabi Lane residents for the time being, 22 December 2018
- The Wire: Meghalaya govt's notices to Harijan Colony Sikhs give way to political upheaval, 18 June 2019
- PTI via Assam Tribune: Punjab Govt delegation arrives in Shillong, 19 June 2019
- NE Now: Ensure one-time resolution of Sikh settlers, Punjab govt tells Meghalaya, 20 June 2019
- Tribune: Shillong Sikhs fear fresh drive to evict them, 9 December 2020
- PTI via Tribune: Meghalaya planning to redevelop Shillong locality that saw group clashes in 2018, 20 March 2021
- Tribune: Meghalaya HC orders status quo on Harijan Colony, 12 April 2021
- EastMojo: 'Illegal settlers' at Shillong's Punjabi Lane: panel report submitted to CM, 29 September 2021
- Outlook: Meghalaya decides to relocate 'illegal settlers' of Shillong's Punjabi Lane, 8 October 2021
- EastMojo: Harijan Panchayat body vows to fight decision to relocate them, 8 October 2021
- PTI via Morung Express: Will take up 'unjust' move to 'evict' Sikhs in Shillong with Union Home Minister, says Punjab Dy CM, 10 October 2021
- PTI via Deccan Herald: 'Will give sleepless nights to government': Punjab Lane residents protest relocation, 2 November 2021
- EastMojo: Shillong's Punjabi Lane residents to finally relocate, with conditions, 25 April 2022
- EastMojo: Harijan colony relocation to congested Mawbah not final, says Tynsong, 19 July 2022
- EastMojo: Punjabi Lane settlers to be relocated to SMB quarters, 1 September 2022
- Tribune: Respond to relocation plan in 4 weeks, Meghalaya High Court tells residents of Punjabi Lane, 23 October 2022
- Morung Express: Meghalaya govt to invite HPC for talks on Sweepers' Colony, March 2023
- PTI via EastMojo: Dalit Sikhs of Shillong pin hope on new govt formation for relocation, 25 February 2023
- Verdictum: Meghalaya HC lists Punjabi Lane relocation matter for 3 July, 8 June 2023
- Bar and Bench: Meghalaya High Court fumes at Harijan Panchayat Committee for "playing fast and loose", 3 July 2023
- Verdictum: Meghalaya HC directs state govt to take immediate action, 4 July 2023
- Sentinel Assam: Meghalaya government to convene final meeting on Harijan Colony relocation on May 7, 27 April 2024
- Hub Network: CM Conrad to meet Union Defence Minister for defence land, 5 December 2024
- Shillong Times: Harijan relocation: Govt expects breakthrough during April 28 meet, 15 April 2025
- PTI via ThePrint: Meghalaya govt likely to announce relocation of Punjabi Lane settlers by July end, 6 July 2026
- Hub Network: Decision on Harijan Colony relocation likely this month after final meeting, 6 July 2026