SHILLONG, APR 6: Three West Khasi hills district ngos said they are not deterred by the threat of arrests for appealing to the electorates of the district to boycott the April 9 Lok Sabha elections as a mark of protest against the state government’s step motherly treatment to development.
The leaders of the three ngos said that being put behind bars for one year is nothing compared to the plight and hardship that the people of the area were going through because of the backwardness for the past 42 years even as they threatened the government not to force youths to join the path of arm struggle.
Making an appeal to boycott the ensuing Lok Sabha elections Ricky J Umiong, president of Nongtre Lyngngam Achik Youth Federation (NLAYF) told a news conference, “We don’t mind if we get arrested and put behind bars just because we are asking for our rights as we can no longer tolerate this step-motherly treatment of the state government to the area. How many more precious lives will be lost due to bad roads and poor road connectivity in the region.”
The three ngos- Nongtre Lyngngam Achik Youth Federation (NLAYF), Federation of Khasi Jaintia & Garo People (FKJGP), Maweit Circle and Western Youth Welfare Council (WYWC) Maweit Circle- appealed to the voters in the region to boycott the ensuing elections by not exercising their franchise as a mark of protest against the government’s adamant attitude towards the development of the region especially Maweit area.
“Voting is voluntary and we are not stopping people from exercising the franchise but it is only an appeal we are making,” the leaders of three ngos said. They informed that the district administration had recently issued an order to arrest anybody who is disrupting the smooth conduct of free and fair elections in the area.
Expressing concern over the order, Umiong said, “We want the government to know that we are not doing anything wrong but only putting forth our protest against the impartial treatment on the region by the government.”
The ngos said that the negligence of the state government and also elected representative in term of failure to ensure all round development and also the delay in construction of Nongstoin-Maweit, 36 km road besides others basic amenities have affected the people.
WYWC – MC president Ionnis Diengngan asserted that calling for a boycott is a democratic path, but instead the district administration is trying to threaten the people by enforcing the various sections of the law.
Diengngan said, “The three ngos and youths from the region will not hesitate to take to other means even to the extent of joining the arm struggle, if the government is forcing us.” – By Our Reporter
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