SHILLONG: Renowned RTI activist Agnes Kharshiing and her associate Anita Kharshiing were attacked by unidentified miscreants in East Jaintia Hills on Thursday and rushed to the Northeastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) here in critical condition.According to reports, she had gone to the coal-rich Lad Rymbai area and was attacked while returning to Shillong . The attack took place at Tuber Sohshrieh village, police said.The activists were attacked with sharp weapons by a group of people when they were reportedly taking pictures of coal-laden trucks.Well known for her social activities, Kharshiing is the president of the Civil Society Women's Organisation (CSWO) and had campaigned against the illegal mining carried out by coal mafia in the state despite the ban on unscientific coal mining by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a blanket ban on coal mining in Meghalaya for the past four years, since April 17, 2014.Confirming the attack, East Jaintia Hills district police chief Silvester Nongtyngnger said police received information about the assault around 1.30-1.40 pm on Thursday. Two police teams from the SP office and the Ladrymbai beat house were immediately deployed, he added."Our team found both of them (Kharshiing and Sangma) in critical conditions after being attacked by the mob. They were immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention," he said.The SP further informed that a case has been registered against unidentified people and police are taking all efforts to identify the culprits behind the attack.Asked why Kharshiing was in the area on Thursday, Nongtyngnger said he is yet to ascertain the purpose of the activist's visit. "She (Kharshiing) did not inform me about her visit," he said.Meanwhile, sources informed that Kharshiing had hired a local taxi from Shillong to go to East Jaintia Hills on Thursday morning.It was the taxi driver who informed a traffic policeman about the incident on reaching Jowai town. Sources informed that as per the taxi driver, Kharshiing had taken some photographs of coal in certain locations while coming back from Ladrymbai area."When she stopped at Sohshrieh on seeing some coal trucks, a group of 30-40 people, including women, suspected to be part of the coal mafia, blocked her vehicle and started assaulting Kharshiing and her friend. Their vehicles had tailed the activist's vehicle for a while. Kharshiing had no knowledge that she was being followed," sources said.However, sources added that the taxi driver was taken away on a vehicle by the miscreants during the incident and was later brought back to Sohshrieh and asked to leave immediately.The state government has condemned the attack on Kharshiing. "We have issued necessary directions to the police and the district administration to investigate the matter and arrest those behind the attack. Civil society plays an important role in a democratic system as it is instrumental in highlighting the concerns of the people. Violence in any form will not be tolerated and the government will take all necessary steps to ensure that those behind the attack are brought to justice," chief minister Conrad Sangma said in a statement.Earlier on March 19 this year, RTI activist Poipynhum Majaw, who was president of the Jaintia Youth Federation, was murdered in the coal belt at Khliehriat in East Jaintia Hills.

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