Shillong, June 8 : The anger over the May 14 Langpih firing that claimed four lives showed no signs of letting up, as a Nepali Lower Primary School at Mawnohsynrum in Ri Bhoi district was torched in the wee hours today, even after a meeting between the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya yesterday.
The Assam-type wooden school building, built in 1960, was completely gutted, police said.
The incident surprised the Khasi and Nepali residents of Mawnohsynrum, who have been living in harmony for the past several years.
Mawnohsynrum is nearly 50km from Shillong.
On May 17, a 70-year-old Nepali cowherd, Loknath Bastula, and his three cows were burnt alive at Umiam in the same district.
Altogether 83 students, of whom 35 are from the Khasi community, are studying in the Nepali LP school.
Balari Kharpuri, who studied in the school till Class IV, said the Khasis and Nepalis lived in harmony and there was not a single instance of a quarrel among them.
According to preliminary investigation after an FIR was filed, the criminals scaled the small boundary wall of the school and poured either kerosene or petrol to torch the wooden structure.
They spared the upper primary school buildings that were RCC constructions.
“I was helpless to see the building up in flames around 2.30am and immediately called the villagers, but there was not much help coming in as it was the middle of the night,” the headman of the village, Aristar Ryngkhang, said.
According to him, fire engulfed the wooden structure very fast, razing it.
“We do not know who is behind this violence, but we are concerned over the matter and are ready to provide any assistance,” the headman said.
He said the villagers had been guarding the school after the Langpih firing to prevent any damage.
According to the villagers, the arsonists might have taken advantage of the lax security.
The headmaster of the school, Punya Subedi, who stays in a nearby village, said the villagers informed him about the incident around 3am.
“The whole building was gutted. It will take several months to rebuild the school,” Subedi said.
He said the managing committee would meet to discuss how to accommodate the LP school students.
As students from at least five nearby villages are studying in the school, the villagers have to find an alternative space soon.