KSU accuses police of high-handedness

NONGPOH: The North Khasi Hills unit of the Khasi Students Union (KSU) has condemned Ri Bhoi police’s high-handed approach in searching for the members of the group.
In a press statement released on Saturday, the unit’s vice president, Vincent Makri, said the union strongly objects to the brute force used by police at Umbir village in the pretext of looking for KSU activist. The police had stormed into a house belonging to Roland Mawthoh and Veronica Nongbsap in the village.
“This is only an attempt to take revenge on KSU activists and the indigenous people… Meghalaya police is active only when there is a protest by KSU and other NGOs. But when our own people are being harassed in the Meghalaya-Assam border by Assam police or Karbi militant group (KPLT), the state police become mute spectators and fail to take legal action,” Makri said, adding that such aggressiveness is spreading panic among locals.
However, such excesses would not deter KSU from protesting against the railway project, Makri indicated.
“We urge the people of the state to extend their support against the actions of the state government in forcefully bringing railway line in Ri-Bhoi despite strong opposition by the masses and without first implementing strong mechanism to check the influx into the state,” he said and added that KSU members and their families have been asked to “fight for motherland”.
When asked about the manhandling of the SP and the deputy commissioner, Makri said, “These two officers of the district should take full responsibility if anything untoward happens in our State in the days to come.”