Stir against BSF land acquisition on Jan 24

SHILLONG: The South West Khasi Hills unit of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) will stage a protest march to the office of the deputy commissioner, South West Khasi Hills on January 24 following the inaction of the district administration to withdraw letters written to traditional heads and landowners for acquisition of land for the BSF battalion headquarters in Mawkyrwat.
The president of the union from SWKH, Forwardman Nongrem, strongly opposed the move and the union has requested landowners not to sell their land to BSF.
 During a media interaction here on Wednesday, he slammed the state government and the district administration for surreptitiously acquiring land to establish the BSF battalion headquarters in the district.
It is however not revealed as to which part of Mawkyrwat the BSF battalion will be established.
 The union alleged that the move of the state government suggests collusion with the central government to mine uranium in the area with a proposed plan to safeguard it with the deployment of armed forces.
Another reason cited by the union is that the BSF might engage in indiscriminate felling of trees as was done in areas of Nongtrai in which the union accused the BSF of cutting down betel nut trees belonging to residents of Nongtrai village and using them to build a bridge to cross the Phlangkaruh river in Mawsynram Block in East Khasi Hills.
 “Whether we get permission or not, we will go ahead with the protest march,” Nongrem said.