A deeper malaise

The outbreak of violence in Shillong during a protest rally taken out by the Khasi Students’ Union in which some miscreants attacked vehicles bearing Assam registration numbers is not the first such incident. Recurrence of such incidents is a symptom of a deeper malaise. The police’s failure to act promptly and maintain law and order represents a critical gap in the system. While most parts of the Northeast region have moved past a bitter history of insurgent violence, and the restoration of peace has enabled the states to attract tourists and investors by showcasing their untapped economic potential, any slackness in law-and-order enforcement can be costly and may hinder the region’s progress. The professionalism of a law-enforcing agency A law-enforcing agency’s professionalism hinges on its ability to foresee trouble and implement measures to prevent escalation. A law-enforcing agency’s professionalism depends on its ability to anticipate trouble and take measures to prevent escalation. The incident occurs while Meghalaya and other states in the region are preparing for a new tourism season, revealing a more profound issue of revenue sharing among tourism stakeholders, particularly the taxi owners of Assam and Meghalaya. The two neighbouring states, by leaving the issue unresolved, will perpetuate this fault line, which will continue to be a persistent irritant in the healthy interdependence of the states for tourism promotion. Meghalaya’s revenue earnings from tourism, which registered a spectacular jump from Rs 270 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 725 crore in 2025-26, reflect increasing footfalls driven by infrastructure investment and the strengthening of homestays and other tourist accommodations. The transport sector plays the most crucial role in the tourism industry by ferrying tourists from one destination to the next and is therefore considered the backbone of the industry. The rapid expansion of the tourism industry in Meghalaya has led to the growth of multi-state tourism stakeholders. When some local stakeholders are not benefitted by such multi-state tourism activities in a way they desire, it creates the undesired space for friction. Fringe elements often exploit such situations by inciting those who fail to cope with the changes demanded by industrial and economic growth to create trouble. Assam accounts for a significant share of rising footfalls in Meghalaya, with many from Assam escaping the monotony of concrete cities for the quieter and more refreshing destinations in the neighbouring state. The rise in tourists’ vehicles in the hill state is not always due to taxi owners transporting tourists arriving from other states in Assam en route to Meghalaya but also due to many tourists from Assam travelling in their own private vehicles. Just like more taxis and private vehicles from Assam ferry tourists to Meghalaya, taxi operators from the hill state also ferry many from their home state to Assam, with more people travelling to Delhi and other cities via Guwahati to undertake a train journey or fly to various destinations within and outside the region. Additionally, there is an increasing number of people from Meghalaya travelling by taxi through Assam to Tura and other destinations in their state. Therefore, it’s naive and wrong to conclude that only transport stakeholders in Assam have benefited from the growth of tourism and increased movement between the two states. Pressure groups like KSU should take a more responsible approach and lead efforts to prevent miscreants from undermining the long-standing harmony and growing economic interdependence between the two neighbouring states. Organisations in Assam must also avoid actions that exacerbate the situation and allow the Assam government and police to work in coordination with their counterparts in Meghalaya. Meghalaya must draw lessons from Wednesday’s incident and take strong measures to restore the confidence of tourists from Assam, many of whom were stranded by the outbreak of violence and unprovoked attacks on their vehicles. Meghalaya police opening a helpline number for the safety of stranded tourists from Assam is a laudable initiative, but the state succeeding in preventing the recurrence of such incidents is essential to sustain the tourism industry. Domestic and foreign tourists see the entire northeast region as one entity and plan their itineraries accordingly. The significant expansion of air, railway, and road networks in Assam has led tourists to prefer travelling to Assam first before moving to tourism destinations in Meghalaya and other states, depending on their preferred tourism circuits. Stakeholders in Meghalaya must understand that Assam is a catalyst for Meghalaya’s tourism success story and must prevail over all organisations to refrain from any activities that may harm the state’s interests by creating bad blood among the people of the two neighbouring states. Blockades and counter-blockades will only harm the economic interests of both neighbouring states. Stakeholders in Assam also need to be accommodating, as any loss to Meghalaya’s tourism industry will also directly impact them, and, therefore, they too should prevail over different organisations to refrain from any act that precipitates the situation. The governments of Assam and Meghalaya must take action to eliminate the obstacles.