SHILLONG: A video showing a Khasi man from Meghalaya being publicly confronted and allegedly shamed in Guwahati over accusations of urinating on a flyover has triggered a backlash on social media in Meghalaya, with several videos subsequently surfacing purportedly showing people from Assam urinating and defecating in public places across the state.
The initial video, which has circulated widely on social media and was also carried by some media outlets, shows a group of people confronting the Khasi man and questioning him over the alleged act.
The man is seen apologising and holding his ears as a gesture of remorse. However, those confronting him continue to question him and ask him to produce his Aadhaar card, reportedly warning that the police would be informed if he failed to do so.
The situation was later reportedly intervened in by other Khasi individuals who arrived at the spot and attempted to mediate between the man and those confronting him.
The video subsequently drew strong reactions in Meghalaya, with sections of social media users criticising what they described as the public humiliation of the man and warning that similar incidents involving outsiders in Meghalaya could invite a similar response.
Amid the reaction, several videos began circulating on social media within a day, purportedly showing individuals from Assam urinating or defecating in public places at different locations in Meghalaya.
The authenticity, location and circumstances surrounding the newly circulated videos could not be independently verified.
The episode has since fuelled a wider debate on public sanitation, the treatment of outsiders and the practice of publicly confronting and shaming individuals over alleged violations.
