More than 30 shops owned by non-tribals allegedly operating without valid trading licences from the KHADC were closed down by the Federation of Khasi-Jaintia & Garo People (FKJGP), South East Khasi Border Circle, on Monday. The crackdown took place at Sonatola, Nongkriah, and Balat markets under Mawsynram in East Khasi Hills.
In a statement issued on Monday, president of the FKJGP South East Khasi Border Circle, Kyrmen Shangdiar, said the action followed surprise inspections of trading licences in various local markets along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Mawsynram Block. During the checks, the federation found that many non-tribal shopkeepers lacked trading licences, while others were operating with expired licenses issued by the district council.
Notably, non-tribal shop owners have become targets of pressure groups on Shillong and other parts of the state, wherein it us seen that checking is bring conducted on on non-tribal shop owners and not tribals.
