Shillong:

Senegalese-American pop star Akon, who is in Shillong to perform at the Cherry Blossom Festival 2024, has said he thinks of India as his “second home” and can never find himself in a situation “far away” from the country.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Friday, the ‘Lonely‘ and ‘Chammak Challo‘ star said, “I have always had unforgettable moments here in India. It’s like a second home to me. So, I am always here to do many things. Often for weddings… we do a lot of (performances for) weddings. So I always find myself in and out of India. I don’t think I will ever be in a position where India would be far away from me.”

The 51-year-old Grammy winning artiste made his Bollywood debut by singing the iconic ‘Chammak Challo’ and ‘Criminal‘ songs in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Ra.One. He is also engaged in philanthropy in Africa and said he is “100 per cent” willing to be involved in social work in India.

“One hundred percent… The most important thing is finding the best potential partners here. But I would love to do a lot of work here in India for sure,” he said, when asked about his philanthropic work such as the solar lighting project (Akon Lighting Africa) in Africa and the possibility of carrying out similar work in India.

He said he is visiting the northeast for the first time and the trip has been “amazing” so far. “This is the first time that I am visiting this side of India. It’s beautiful,” he said.

The R&B singer also visited an undisclosed location linked to the indigenous Khasi tribe in Meghalaya.

“Music is one of those things that you have to spread… (it) also speaks in a language that, most often, the world doesn’t speak,.. music, everybody understands (stands for the language of) love, good karma and positive energy. So, oftentimes, if you do music with positive energy, it will spread quicker and you can become the biggest thing ever. So just keep it (your music) as positive as possible,” he said.

In a message to all his fans, Akon said: “I appreciate all you guys for all the support and one love.”

The Cherry Blossom Festival, which is supported by the Meghalaya government, is being held on Friday and Saturday. With impressive lineups, the festival attracts thousands of music enthusiasts from across the country every year.

Akon’s performance at the event this year is part of his “Superfan Tour,” which includes one show per country in Asia during November and December, with additional stops in as many as eight countries.

Shillong’s Punjabi Lane, also known as Them Iew Mawlong, is open for traffic after a six-year gap following the 2018 unrest . The Motphran-Mawlong route closure was initially implemented in response to security concerns after the unrest in Them Iew Mawlong in 2018. Vehicular movement has officially resumed on the Mawlonghat to Bimola junction, the administration said today. 

The district administration has announced that vehicles can now take the Them Metor Road, connecting Mawlonghat to Bimola, from 8 am to 4 pm daily, under strict security.

Following a recent meeting between district authorities and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, it was decided to resume traffic movement through this route. 

East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtnger assured that a substantial security presence including CRPF, traffic police, and state police personnel have been deployed to ensure a safe and organized transition. 

Parallely, the state government is preparing to make a final decision on relocating 342 families from the Harijan Colony in Them Iew Mawlong, with plans for a resolution by the end of the year. 

The relocation proposal has been under review since the formation of a High-Level Committee in June 2018, led by Deputy Chief Minister Tynsong. 

Back in 2018, as unrest again broke out in Shillong over the migrant issue, life became uncertain for the residents of Punjabi Lane, the 200 year old settlement the protesters wanted to be relocated. An estimated 4,000 people live in the area. 

The colony — meant to house sweepers and workers of the municipality, mostly migrants from Punjab — became a flashpoint in the 1980s. 

The dominant Khasi tribals want the Punjabis to be relocated from the donated tribal land that had gone to the government post-Independence. Conflicts have erupted on and off over the years, and progressively escalated.

Shillong:

A civil society organisation of the Meitei community organised a sit-in protest at the Manipur Bhavan in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong on Sunday, condemning the recent rocket and weaponized drone attacks in Manipur by “Kuki insurgents”.

The Manipuri Elders Consortium Shillong (MECS) in a statement said many members of the Meitei community including students living in Shillong participated in the sit-in protest.

“Protesters expressed strong opposition to the recent aerial attacks targeting Meitei villages along the foothills in Manipur, which involved the use of drones and rockets, resulting in numerous civilian casualties,” MECS said in the statement.

MECS also raised concerns over what it called inflow of illegal immigrants, the growing threat of narco-terrorism, and propaganda campaigns against the Meitei community.

“We call on the urgent need to safeguard the indigenous communities of Manipur, with calls for immediate action to address the ongoing violence and bring immediate peace in the state,” the MECS said.

Kuki civil society organisations have refuted allegations of their “defence volunteers” using weaponized drones.

The Manipur Police have said they are considering giving the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. The clashes between the Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.