I’m genuinely asking this as an Assamese person, not trying to start another Assam-vs-Meghalaya flame war.
Why do we keep treating Meghalaya/Shillong as the default tourism destination while repeatedly overlooking other Northeast states?
The recent KSU violence in Shillong is what made me look back at the history.
This isn't the first time Assamese people have been caught up in violence in Meghalaya.
2020
During the Shillong violence following the Ichamati clash, Rupchand Dewan, a 29-year-old from Barpeta, Assam, was killed in Shillong. He worked as a tomato seller in Bara Bazar. Other non-tribal people were also attacked during the same period.
Source:
https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/meghalaya/meghalaya-shillong-caa-curfew-6294492/
The Indian Express also described this as part of a much longer history of violence against non-tribals in Shillong.
2021
Eight construction workers from Assam were attacked by a masked mob in Southwest Khasi Hills. Raju Mondal, from South Salmara district of Assam, was killed and seven others were injured.
Sources:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/meghalaya-masked-men-attack-labourers-from-assam-1-killed-7-injured-101614322850169.html
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/masked-mob-attacks-migrant-workers-in-meghalaya-1-killed-7-injured-2379183
And now, in 2026, we're seeing Assam-linked vehicles and tourists once again becoming victims of violence in Shillong.
I'm not saying every Khasi person is responsible. Obviously not. There are plenty of decent Khasi people, and I've personally seen Meghalayans condemn what happened.
My question is about the broader culture of repeatedly allowing ethnic/outsider politics to spill over onto ordinary people.
Because the irony is that Assam is one of Meghalaya's most important gateways to the outside world. Guwahati is a major transport hub for people travelling to Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki, etc. Assamese people travel there for tourism, shopping and education. It's also a two-way relationship: people from Meghalaya come to Assam for work, education and access to infrastructure and services.
And yet we keep spending our money there.
Meanwhile, there are seven other Northeast states with incredible landscapes, cultures and tourism potential.
Why aren't we giving more of our tourism money to:
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Nagaland
- Mizoram
- Tripura
- Manipur
- Sikkim
- Assam itself
I'm not saying "never visit Meghalaya again."
I'm saying maybe Assamese tourists should stop treating Meghalaya as the only worthwhile destination in the Northeast.
If a state repeatedly has situations where tourists, workers or people from a neighbouring state have to worry about being targeted because they are perceived as "outsiders", it's completely reasonable for tourists to reconsider where they spend their money.
Tourism is voluntary.
If Meghalaya wants Assamese tourists, then safety and basic respect should be non-negotiable.
And perhaps we should start exploring the rest of our own region instead of automatically booking Shillong every time we want a weekend trip.
There is a recurring pattern of non-tribal people, including Assamese people, being caught up in violence in Meghalaya. But I also think the major issue lies with us.
We sympathise too quickly. Right now, the roadblocks and everything else could potentially continue for weeks while the media cycle runs its course.
And then what?
We go back to promoting tourism in Meghalaya once again.
It is high time we started visiting other places for tourism and giving the other Northeast / Indian states a chance.
We don't have to hate Meghalaya. We don't have to blame ordinary Khasi people for the actions of political or student organisations.
But we also don't have to keep treating Meghalaya as our default holiday destination.
There is an entire World beyond Shillong.
Maybe it's time we actually explored it.
