JOWAI: A conglomeration of four Jaintia Hills based NGOs – the All Jaintia Youth Welfare Organisation (AJYWO) Central Body, Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Jaintia Hills District Unit, Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) East Jaintia Zone and the Federation of Khasi Jaintia & Garo People (FKJGP) Khliehriat Circle, have called night road blockade in Jaintia Hills on January 27 and 28 from 7 pm till 5 am of the next day, in protest against the negligent attitude of the Meghalaya Government towards their demand for immediate repair of the dilapidated National Highway 44 from Mookyndur in West Jaintia Hills to Malidor in East Jaintia Hills.
The night road blockade will be effective in both the districts of Jaintia Hills, the organisations informed, after a meeting held here on Monday to discuss the issue.
“Following our numerous requests and prayers to the Government of Meghalaya and their continued neglect, we are left with no other options but to call this two-night road blockade in order to put pressure on the State Government and the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to repair NH-44 which is in a very bad shape and poses potential risk to human lives” MH Dkhar, president, AJYWO, said in a statement.
“NH-44 which runs along Meghalaya from Shillong to Malidor is the lifeline of almost all the North Eastern States of India. Besides, it acts as the backbone for the citizens of Meghalaya. About 85 per cent of the entire length of the Highway is in a very dilapidated shape which is gravely affecting travellers. The most affected ones are the sick community,” Dkhar said, while pointing out that the Highway is in its worst shape between Sonapur and Malidor.”We would have called the agitation this week itself, but with due respect to the Republic Day celebrations due on January 26, we have decided to go for it on January 27 and 28,” Cherity Dkhar Suja, Asst. general secretary of KSU-JHDU said.
“We cannot bear the plight of the commuters on the Highway crying in pain. So we have to take this step to pressurize both the State and the Central Government to begin immediate repair of the Highway,” Suja said, while threatening to launch harsher agitation programmes in the near future until either of the two governments takes action.
“In the interest of all concerned, we request people from all sections, both from Meghalaya and other North Eastern states, to kindly bear with us on these two nights and also to extend their kind support towards us in this agitation programme so that our mission would be successful,” Dkhar appealed.
It is noteworthy that the said organisations had submitted a memorandum to the State Government through the Executive Engineer PWD (Roads) Central Division, Jowai, on January 7. Leaders of the organisations had also attended a meeting with the State Government represented by East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner East WR Lyngdoh and the Executive Engineer PWD (Roads) Central Division, Jowai, along with other high ranking officials. During the meeting the officials had promised the organisations that repair work would begin by Monday (January 20), but the promise remained unfulfilled, prompting the organisations to call the night road blockade.
