KSU serves ultimatum, Ardent ready to shed blood
SHILLONG/ NONGSTOIN: The opposition to the move for setting up designated camps of the ANVC-B in the Khasi Hills areas is snowballing, with political leaders, NGOs and pressure groups joining the chorus of protests.
The setting up of the designated camp in the West Khasi Hills District would create a sense of insecurity among the people of the area, HSPDP vice president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said in Shillong on Thursday. For, ANVC-B was already indulging in various kinds of criminal activities like extortion in the coal mining areas of WKH.
NGOs based in WKH have planned to make a joint move in opposing the demand of ANVC-B that a designated camp be set up in the district. They would chalk out a strategy in a joint meeting at Arodanga on Saturday.
Basaiawmoit suspected that the ANVC-B might have a hidden agenda to insist that they would like to set their designated camp in Khasi Hills. The move could also be a strategy to extend the Garoland demand to Khasi Hills areas.
“We cannot rule out that this is part of their strategy to fulfill their demand for a separate Garoland. We know that there are large sections of Garo population who are residing in the Khasi Hills region. But this does not mean that we would allow them to extend claim over our land,” Basaiawmoit said.
He said he appreciated the stand taken by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma that he would not listen to the dictates either of ANVC or ANVC-B in setting up of this designated camp.
Reacting to the warning by ANVC-B on Wednesday that it would like HSPDP and its leader Basaiawmoit, KHNAM, KSU and the FKJGP to withdraw in some more time their opposition to the setting up of the designated camp in Khasi Hills, an emotional Basaiawmoit said he would not even hesitate to sacrifice his blood to fight against attempts to take away Khasi land.
“We would continue to live harmoniously as long there is recognition of the rights we have on our own land,” the HSPDP vice president said. The banned ANVC-B has asserted, however, that it has no intention of grabbing any portion of Khasi Hills land.
The KSU has given the State Government two weeks’ time to withdraw its plan to set up the ANVC-B designated camp in Khasi Hills region. “We would resort to various forms of agitations if the Government fails to withdraw its proposal to set up designated camps of the outfit in West Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills,” KSU South West Khasi Hills general secretary Robert June Kharjahrin told newsmen after a General Council meeting of the studsent body.
According to Kharjahrin, the Government had not consulted either the district council or various stakeholders like the traditional heads and the people of these areas before coming up with this proposal. “This clearly reflects that the Government wants to impose its decision on the people which is totally unacceptable,” Kharjahrin said.
The KSU leader, too, suspect that there must be a hidden agenda on the part of the outfit to demand the setting up of this camp. “The outfit is coming up with this demand may be to facilitate its demand for a separate Garoland by including some of the land in the Khasi Hills region,” he said.
He also said that the outfit was already involved in illegal activities in various areas in Khasi Hills. “The situation might be worse if they are allowed to set up a camp. We would not want our people to face problems or be harassed by the illegal activities of these outfit,” he said. HANM has invited all NGOs to attend a meeting on May 22 to discuss the proposal of the Government on setting up of the designated camp. “We are holding the meeting on May 22,” HANM said in a statement issued on Thursday.