SHILLONG, APR 27: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Wednesday asked the state government to succumb to the demands of the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC).
“The state government should not succumb to their (HPC) demands and if that happens all we can say is that “all hell will break loose”, the KSU will oppose the move and not only the KSU but the public, the local indigenous people of Meghalaya will oppose and there might be mayhem in the state,” KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah told reporters.
This came after the HPC in a meeting called by the state government had demanded that 200 square meters be provided to each of 342 households in a 10 acres of land in exchange for Them Iew Mawlong.
Stating that the issue is ticking like a time bomb, Thabah said, “It has happened before and it will happen again. (Therefore), we want to reiterate that their demands should not be accepted.”
He also demanded that the state government not to delay further by ensuring that the government servants are relocated and illegal settlers are evicted from the Them Iew Mawlong.
Thabah said that the KSU will also put its plan into action depending on the decision of the state government on the demands.
He said the HPC’s demands are highly unacceptable and are making a mockery of the government and the entire state as a whole.
“The HPC are demanding 10 acres of land in order to provide 200 square meters per family which is equivalent to 2,000 sq ft per household when if you look in and around Shillong, there are people who are living in a very small space especially people who live in rented houses,” Thabah said adding “Had they been staying illegally in Punjab, they would have been evicted since day one. But here the government and the people are very lenient.”
Further, the KSU leader also asked the government employees residing at Them Iew Mawlong to comply with the decision taken by the government and their respective departments for relocating them.
“The government servants settling there in Them-metor should comply with the government’s procedure,”he said adding “As for those who are settling illegally, they are illegal and they should be evicted. Eviction of illegal settlers is happening all over India if you look even in Assam, even in Chandigarh – everywhere in India, illegal settlers are being evicted. Here in Meghalaya also, if you look at vendors and hawkers they are being evicted but it doesn’t mean that they will come and demand you build a shop for us, you bear the expenditure, you give us a plot of land…”
By Our Reporter
+ There are no comments
Add yours