NONGPOH: Come rain or shine, the anti-railway groups in the State are determined to drive their point home.
The public meeting of three pressure groups – the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), the Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF) and the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) – held on the issue of railway connectivity in the State, went off peacefully on Thursday amid scorching heat and heavy rain.
Queen Rymbai, a prominent woman leader in Ri Bhoi, lashed out at the high-handedness of police and drew a comparison with American force against ISIS terrorists to explain the local cops’ aggressiveness.
She alleged that police are harassing the families of KSU members as well as innocent people who have no links with the union.
“Police are supposed to be friends of people and protect the poor and the vulnerable, but the state of affairs now shows that the police are the worst enemy of the indigenous people,” Rymbai said and added that none of the public representatives have come forward to solve the problem.
“Where has DD Lapang been? Is he visible only during elections,” Rymbai thundered. She added that the people must teach him a good lesson in the 2018 election.
The meeting, which was earlier scheduled to be held on the premises of the Meghalaya Urban Development Affairs complex in Nongpoh, was later shifted to the compound of the Community Hall of Sajer.
Several top leaders of the pressure groups, including FKJGP president Welbirth Ranee, RBYF president B. Thangkhiew and HNYF president GH Kharshanlor, were seen attending the meeting along with headmen and women leaders of Ri Bhoi. Hundreds of locals attended the meeting.
Ranee enumerated reasons for the groups’ opposition to the railway project saying they would protest till a comprehensive mechanism is implemented as demanded earlier.
“We are more concerned about the future security of our indigenous tribe,” he said, adding that there is no use of development if “our future generations are at risk and are destined to be controlled by outsiders”.
Criticising the Governments indifference to solve the contentious issue, the FKJGP president said Chief Minister Mukul Sangma “is trying to irritate the pressure groups instead of encouraging dialogue”.
The leader reiterated the demand for stalling the project and vowed to “take a drastic a step” if the demand is not fulfilled.
The three pressure groups demanded that the State Government stop raids on KSU activists’ houses and put pressure on the government to hold talks.
