SHILLONG, DEC 8: Over 30 activists of the anti-influx group Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) today were picked up and later released after they “illegally” staged their ongoing hunger strike protest outside the official residence of the chief minister Mukul Sangma here.
The surprised protest was taken out within an hour of the chief minister leaving his residence to attend the winter session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, which began here on Friday.
Armed with placards and banners, the activists on hunger strike also shouted anti-Congress slogans condemning the passive attitude of the chief minister and his government towards the 14 charter of demands which include implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP).
It was only after awhile that they could start the protest, police came and immediately picked them up on a bus from the place and was taken to the Sadar Police Station.
This also came a day after the protesters had defied the order issued by the district administration by continuing their hunger strike beyond the permissible timing which led the police to take action by evicting them from the parking lot adjacent to the Additional Secretariat.
It may be mentioned here, the HYC has been demanding the state government to pass an official resolution in the Assembly for implementing its 14-point of demands for strong anti-influx laws.
“We have arrested the protesting HYC members after they were found to have violated the Section 144 CrPC imposed by the district administration in sensitive areas in the state capital in view of the Winter Session of the Assembly,” East Khasi Hills SP Davis Marak said here.
He said they will be booked under relevant sections of the Meghalaya Police Act.
They were however, not allowed to protest during the three days the Winter Session of the Assembly is on and the district administration have imposed sections 144 CrPC to prevent any possible breakdown of law and order.
The SP said the district administration does not have any problem with the protest but the issue is with the venue and the day of protest.
“It is a democratic right to protest but the problem is they protested at the residence of the Chief Minister and that they did not have permission to protest today,” the SP said.
HYC leader Donboklang Kharlyngdoh, while being whisked away in a bus said, “We went to Mukul’s residence in the morning to remind him about our charter of demands since he is known to be an absent minded person.”
He said, “We want to remind the government to pass an official resolution in the House to implement the 14 charter of demands of the group.”
Apart from ILP, the demands also include implementation of the cut off year (for outsiders who had come and settle in the state before January 1, 1971), residential permit, voting in place of origin among others.
By Our Reporter
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