SHILLONG: The banned militant group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has alleged that the mob assault of social activists Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma was at the instigation of the police department.
Speaking about the ban on rat-hole mining, general secretary cum publicity secretary of HNLC, Sainkupar Nongtraw in a press statement asserted that Kharshiing was used as a scapegoat as she was trying to monitor the case of illegal mining.
He alleged that coal suppliers, police, politicians and bureaucrats are involved in illegal coal mining.
With the ban on rat-hole mining affecting their livelihood, he said the state machineries should take a decision pertaining to lifting the ban on coal mining.
According to him, the state would have earned revenue in millions thereby uplifting the economy of the state as well as its people if mining was legal.
The militant organisation said poor people who depended on coal trade for their livelihood bear the brunt of the blanket ban while the millionaires are not affected by the ban.
The HNLC asserted that the NGT should come up with alternate employment for the poor considering it banned coal mining in the state.
Asserting that the state had suffered an economic downfall, Nongtraw said tourism would be of little help as the department is working at a snail’s pace.
Pointing to the “political oppression and economic exploitation” at the hands of Indian government, the HNLC said the Indian Constitution is federal in form but unitary in spirit. He cited that all the underground deposits, ores, minerals, rivers, forests are state subjects but by default everything comes under the union government.
“Indian states do not have the power to propose any kind of Amendment, and it has to depend upon the mercy of the parliament. Even the governors are just mere agents of the central government and they cannot act as heads of state,” Nongtraw said.
According to him, the dictatorship of the Centre creates a breeding ground of revolutions into the minds of the masses.
Entry/exit points
The HNLC has also expressed concern over the demands of the 13 pressure groups to set up entry/exit points to regulate the entry of illegal immigrants in the state. The outfit rued the delay in setting up the entry and exit points and there is no sign of progress even under the present leadership of Conrad Sangma.
“If entry exit points are not done at the earliest then our state shall also become another Tripura, full of illegal immigrants who would change the demography of the state,” Nongtraw said.
According to him, Sangma should be farsighted and take concrete steps to protect our land and the identity of its people.
Observing the present scenario, he said the state shall witness illegal immigrants in the state be it in the assembly, secretariat, business etc. “It is time for our politicians to wake up from slumber before our state gets a new name ‘Bangalaya’,” Nongtraw remarked.
