Shillong, April 28: Shops and business establishments in areas stretching from Khyndailad to Ïewduh remained closed on Monday as part of a shutdown called by the Shillong Citizen Forum (SCF) to protest against the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
The shutdown was supported by the Barabazar Merchants and Shopkeepers Association, which had urged all its members to voluntarily close their establishments as a mark of solidarity and to condemn the brutal attack.
On Sunday, the SCF also organized a candlelight vigil in front of the old Assembly building at Khyndailad.
The vigil, held from 5 pm to 7 pm, saw the participation of citizens who came together to pay tribute to the lives lost in the Pahalgam attack.
However, the solidarity shutdown of shops and establishments has drawn criticism and opposition from several sections of society, including the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO), which stated that true solidarity should be voluntary and not enforced through orchestrated shutdowns.
The Meghalaya Pradesh Mahila Congress also expressed disappointment with the shutdown called by the Shillong Citizen Forum, stating that people are already burdened by rising prices and that further disrupting livelihoods would only add to their hardships.
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