SHILLONG, JUNE 21: The anti-railway groups have threatened to intensify their protest against the construction of a railway line in Ri Bhoi District, if the chief minister refuses to invite talks with all pressure groups.
The decision was taken after a delegation of the four organizations, which are staging a sit-in-demonstration in the city here, met the Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh, who had invited them for discussion on the issue.
The four NGOs – Federation of Khasi-Jaintia & Garo People (FKJGP), Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF), Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF) and Confederation of Ri Bhoi People (CoRP) are demanding the government to immediately put on hold the construction of the railway project, in absence of effective mechanisms to check influx.
“We will be compelled to take up other course of action to pressurize the state government to comply with the demand put forth by us,” FKJGP chief Wellbirth Rani told reporters after the meeting.
He informed that home minister has assured the delegation that he would convey the message to the chief minister Mukul Sangma to initiate dialogue with the pressure groups.
“We have also urged him (Lyngdoh) to speed up the process of dialogue at the earliest and to ensure that all pressure groups including the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) are invited,” Rani said.
According to him, they have also demanded the government to direct the state police to stop hunting and arresting of KSU members.
He further informed that they would again sit for a joint meeting to discuss on the outcome of the meeting tomorrow.
On the other hand, HNYF general secretary Sadon Blah said that they would take a final call on the matter only after the proposed meeting with the chief minister.
He said that during the course of discussion with the home minister, they have also maintained that they are not ready to discuss on railway till such time that the mechanisms to check influx are put in place.
As of now there are no signs on the part of the government to speed up the setting up of entry/exit points and to implement the Meghalaya Residents Safety & Security Act, 2016, he said.
Recently, the chief minister has maintained that the government will not invite the KSU for talks until they refrain from criminal and unlawful activities.
Several KSU members have been arrested following a violent protest at the construction site of the railway line in Ronghona village on May 27 and subsequent incidents of arson and petrol bomb attack across Khasi Hills region.
Asked, Blah however said the delay in holding talks will only worsen the situation.
Rani added that they are not aware as to who are behind the arson cases and that even the home minister informed that the arrest made was against individuals and not the KSU.
Referring to the Centre’s decision not to scrap the project, the FKJGP leader said, “The railway is a central project but the law and order is a state subject.”
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