Shillong, Aug 3: A team of Meghalaya Forest Department and Khasi Student Union reached the Mahadev Khola temple complex in Shillong on Thursday to conduct an inspection.
This inspection comes days after the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) lodged a complaint with the Divisional Forest Officer of East Khasi Hills against illegal settlers in Mahadev Khola .
They alleged that the forest department had given the land in 1923 for the construction of a Hindu temple at Mahadev Khola for religious purposes and not for any settlement.
The association claimed that it found 30–40 houses and many shopkeepers of non-indigenous backgrounds living in the area without valid documents. In this context, the people of Union and the Forest Department conducted a joint inspection of the temple premises on Thursday.
A few days ago ( July 24), some anti-social elements attacked the Mahadev Khola temple premise on the afternoon of the third Monday of the auspicious Sawan (monsoon) month. The attackers also thrashed the worshippers and robbed the shop, disturbing the peace in the area of Shillong’s famous Shiva temple, Mahadev Khola Dham.
At least three persons were arrested and two juveniles were apprehended for their involvement in assaulting and robbing a shopkeeper and her son at Mahadev Khola.
However, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the Mahadev Khola incident was not in any way religiously or communally motivated.
