93-km protest march for development

SHILLONG/NONGSTOIN: Over 70 members of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) Nongstoin circle have started their 93-km protest march from the West Khasi Hills district headquarters to Shillong on foot on Tuesday morning.
The pressure group is protesting against the government’s failure to bring about development in Nongstoin and its rejection of the group’s 14-point demands, which include implementing Inner Line Permit (ILP), HYC general secretary Robert Kharjahrin said in a statement.
The sloganeering HYC members started the protest march at 8am from Nonbah near New Nongstoin Presbyterian Church. The rally is likely to be for three days.
Lumlang Kharsyiemlieh, President of HYC Nongstoin told reporters that the protesters would reach Shillong on August 24 where a short meeting will be conducted in the Secretariat main building.
“Forty-one years have passed since we got our own district but we are still in the same position since the government took no initiative to bring development to the district,” he said.
Kharsyiemlieh said the council had been seeking appointment with the chief minister since 2015 but he refused to meet them.
Nongstoin has no proper road connectivity, government colleges, vocational training and harvesting centres, ITI, playground, healthcare facilities and blood bank, he pointed out. “The demands also include implementation of ILP,” he added.
The pressure group’s 14-point demands also include residential and work permits, prohibition and detection of Benami transaction and settlement of border dispute.