SHILLONG : The Khasi Students’ Union is preparing to launch an agitation in Meghalaya after accusing the NPP-led MDA government of failing to respond to five key demands within the 15-day ultimatum issued earlier this month.
KSU general secretary Reuben Najiar announced the decision at a public meeting at Laban Last Stop on Monday, saying the government had not acted despite repeated representations.“We had given 15 days ultimatum. But the government continues to remain adamant,” Najiar said.
The Union had submitted its demands to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on August 4 and is expected to announce the form of its agitation on Tuesday. The KSU has also appealed to the public to join the proposed movement.
One of the main demands concerns the proposed Shree Cement limestone mining project in East Jaintia Hills. The KSU wants the July 31 public hearing cancelled and has sought action against the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and concerned officials of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board over what it described as administrative and police high-handedness during the hearing. The public hearing was held amid protests and clashes in parts of East Jaintia Hills.
The Union is also pressing for immediate implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016. It has demanded entry and exit checkpoints and measures to strengthen monitoring of people entering and leaving the State.
Another demand relates to the 2024 amendments to the Meghalaya Identification, Registration, Safety and Security of Migrant Workers Act. The KSU has been seeking implementation of the provisions, including stronger regulation of migrant workers in Meghalaya.
Government recruitment is another major issue in the charter. The Union wants personal interviews removed for Grade C and D posts and has called for changes in recruitment conducted through the Meghalaya Public Service Commission and District Selection Committees.
The KSU has also objected to recruitment advertisements stating that posts are open to “genuine residents of India”. It wants government employment in Meghalaya to be restricted to eligible residents of the State.
Recruitment at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences is also part of the Union’s demands, with the KSU raising issues related to recruitment procedures and reservation.
The Union has separately continued to demand implementation of the Inner Line Permit system in Meghalaya and has reiterated its opposition to uranium mining.
In July, KSU general secretary Reuben Najiar said the government’s proposed Assembly resolution against uranium mining would not be enough to permanently prevent the project because the proposal remained under examination at the national level.
The KSU has been holding public meetings across the State to mobilise support for its demands. Meetings were held in different parts of Khasi and Jaintia Hills before the campaign moved to Shillong.
On Monday, meetings were held at Mawlai Bus Stand, Laban Last Stop, Pohkseh and Umlyngka. The Union has also scheduled further meetings at Laitumkhrah Police Point, Kyrbom Mawprem, YMCA Mawkhar and Iew Nongmensong on Tuesday.
The KSU had earlier said that failure by the government to act within the 15-day period would leave it with no option but to intensify its agitation.
The Union is expected to announce the next course of action following Tuesday’s meetings.
