By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati :  Hundreds take Shelter in Army Camp, Sporadic Violence continues in Shillong,Delhi Sikh Leader reaches Shillong, gives ground report from Punjabi lane. As the situation at Shillong is still tense and sporadic violence continued on Saturday night in parts of Motphran, around 300 people, mostly women and children from Punjabi lane walked into the Garrison ground and took shelter with the Army. The Army offered them flood and blankets besides standing guard while the hundreds of women and children rested for the night. General Commanding Officer of 101 Area, Lt Gen DS Ahuja visited the families to take stock of the situation. According to sources, while the women and children took shelter, the menfolk are still at the Punjabi lane guarding their property with the locals trying to enter the colony and police standing guard at the entrance to prevent them from doing so. After the arrest of the main culprit involved in the original clash from Punjabi lane, the locals are now demanding that the residents of the Punjabi lane need to be immediately shifted from the place. Meanwhile, the curfew is to be lifted for seven hours from 8.00 am to 3.00 pm on Sunday so that people can collect their essential commodities but restrictions will remain in force, an official said on Saturday. Suspension of the internet on mobile services and prohibition in the sale of petrol, diesel etc, in loose to the public continues. Multiple petrol bombs have been hurled at different places over the last two days. Meanwhile, tourists are canceling their plans and returning back from Meghalaya in large numbers. Earlier, East Khasi Hills, Superintendent of Police, Davis N R Marak told reporters that the riot-like situation erupted after few ladies from Them ïew Mawlong, who were fetching water, got into an argument with the drivers of the government-run buses on Thursday at around 9:30 am. The ladies alleged that they were eve-teased following which a scuffle broke out between the drivers and the locals of the area. During the scuffle, three drivers, who are reportedly minor, were injured. The situation turned out of control in the evening when a group of around 200-300 locals came to the Punjabi Lane and started pelting stones at the police personnel after they tried to stop the mob. From anti-riot vehicles and fire tenders to tear gas shells, the police tried their best to control the situation. The main person, who assaulted the drivers, along with two others was arrested by police. Search is on for others involved in the crime.“Requesting people not to worry or believe rumours 🙏🏻 Sikhs are safe” read a Social Media post by BJP MLA from Delhi’s Rajouri Garden, Manjinder Singh Sirsa who is on a visit to Shillong to take stock of the situation after clashes involving the local Sikh community were reported from the city.Sirsa who is also an elected member and general secretary of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee shared multiple videos from the streets of Shillong for the Sikh Community across the world saying that the situation is now under control and there is no need to worry because the clashes have died down. He also thanked Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma for efficiently resolving the crisis that had seen Shillong turn into a battleground with the original scuffle, the Motphran clash being allegedly blown out of proportion. Sirsa is slated to meet the Meghalaya Chief Minister later today. Meanwhile, curfew has been relaxed in a few places and Meghalaya’s capital is slowly limping back to normalcy after sporadic violence rocked the city since Thursday when it all began. The BJP MLA who is also the National spokesperson of the Shiromani Akali Dal rushed to Shillong after rumours of Sikh Families being under threat began circulating on social media with the post like this only adding fuel to the fire:District Magistrate, East Khasi Hills District relaxed curfew in localities under Lumdiengjri PS from 8 am to 3 pm but restrictions will remain in force in view of the breakdown of law and order after Thursday’s clash. The localities are Jaiaw, Mawkhar, Umsohsun, Riatsamthiah, Wahingdoh, Mission, Mawprem, Lumdiengjri, Lamavila, Qualapaty, Wahthapbru, Sunny Hill, Cantonment, Mawlong Hat including Cantonment Beat House Areas (Excluding localities beyond Umshyrpi Bridge).