few people to be seen in the cordoned-off colony.

On a street strewn with vegetable waste leading to the colony, a group of men stood guard against possible attackers. Others were building barriers of brick and wood to restrict entry to the colony’s gurdwara. Contrary to news reports, the gurdwara was not attacked on Friday. However, as the mob hurled petrol bombs and stones at houses in one section of Punjabi Line, a fire started in a nearby salon, residents say.

Since the violence broke out, almost half of the colony’s residents have moved out of their homes taking refuge in the gurdwara.

Garo tribal Dalri Sangma, who married a Punjabi from the colony just two months ago, was among those who had taken refuge in the shrine, along with herthe residents of the colony to relocate to Nongmenson, on the outskirts of the city. However, the community is not keen on moving since their jobs and their children’s schools are in the city.

On Friday night, a mob threw petrol bombs and stones over the walls of the Sweepers Colony, which set this hair-cutting salon on fire.

Brought in by the British

Dalits from Punjab first moved into Shillong over 160 years ago, when the British brought them to Meghalaya to work in the hill station town as sweepers and “manual scavengers” cleaning excreta from toilets. “Our people have been living here before 1853 when the Syiem of Mylliem [village] donated this land to us saying we could live here as long as we want,” said Gurjit Singh. The Syiem