SHILLONG: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) will stage a three-day hunger strike from December 7 as a mark of protest against the indifferent attitude of the state government towards fulfilling the organisation’s 14- point charter of demands.
The HYC in its central executive committee meeting has decided to take the agitational course once again.
The hunger strike will start from December 7 near the bust of Bull Lyngdoh, late Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) president, at Malki to commemorate his death anniversary. Thereafter, they will take out a procession to Additional Secretariat parking lot to stage the hunger strike.
The hunger strike will end on December 8 which turns out to be the first day of the Winter session of the state Assembly. The Winter Session will be held on December 8, 13 and 14.
General secretary of HYC, Robert Kharjahrin told reporters here on Monday, “We will intensify our agitation against the state government if no official resolution is brought in the three-day session of the Assembly.”
It may be noted that HYC rolled out its 14-point charter demands on April this year and the demand for introduction of Inner Line Permit (ILP) features in the top of the demands of the organisation followed residential permit, work permit, prohibition and detection of Benami Transaction, border dispute etc.
He said that the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had called not for talks with the pressure group and that the organisation had gone to different places to create awareness about their demands.
“We cannot blame the Cabinet Ministers only but every legislator is responsible,” he said, warning that the organisation will agitate strongly in response to their silence over the charter of demands.
The HYC, Kharjahrin said, had threatened to campaign against the legislators in the coming elections if the legislators remain indifferent to the demands of the organisation.
The HYC has even launched ‘Save Hynniewtrep Mission’ as a mark of protest against the MLAs who refused to discuss the group’s 14-point charter of demands.
He added that they have met opposition parties and met leaders of parties like Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM), People’s Democratic Front (PDF) et on these issues.
He also demanded that the political parties should include the 14 charter demands in their elections manifesto.
Stating that ILP is the priority of the organization, he said, “If no party includes the implementation of ILP to tackle illegal immigration in their election manifesto, it means that they are not serious about influx.”
Turning to Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on his stand on the ILP, Kharjahrin asserted that Sangma did not want to implement ILP.
He also spoke of other issues on border dispute, corruption and stated that 1971 should be the cut off year for tackling influx. He rooted for the concept of voting in the place of origin etc.
“There are manifestoes which mention that the parties will end corruption but still not even the office of Lokyukta has been set up.”
“No political party is serious about border dispute, influx or corruption,” he added.
On the other hand, the HYC will prepare a questionnaire to pose all political parties for which they will have to answer, Kharjahrin said.