Mawkyrwat: The KSU South West Khasi Hills on Wednesday marched from Mawkyrwat to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Laitlawsang to hold a ‘sit-in demonstration’ opposing the proposed public hearing for the two-laning of the Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Ranikor road scheduled for January 29 at Mawpat-Umdohlun.
South West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Isawanda Laloo informed that the public hearing will go ahead as directed by the government.
KSU members shouted slogans against the government and said the union will not surrender. The marchers were stopped by magistrates along with the police before they could enter the DC’s office.
President of the KSU South West Khasi Hills, Forwardman Nongrem, said, “The government should stop the proposed public hearing because the two-lane road has a clear objective, and that is to “facilitate uranium mining”.
“We were accused of blocking development, but we are firm in our stance that we will not allow any developmental activities with a hidden agenda, come what may,” he said.
Nongrem also criticised the government for depriving Umdohlun-Wahkaji-Phlangdiloin area of development saying there is a “hidden intention”.
“We condemn the government for not bringing development to the area in all these years. We know exactly that this is a ploy of the government to “punish” the people of the area so that they will accept the pre-uranium mining activities,” Nongrem added.
He also said that the union did not buy the claim of the government that the objective of the road (to facilitate uranium mining) has been withdrawn. Nongrem said this is evident because till now the state government has not brought a “resolution” in the Assembly on the uranium mining issue. Besides, the central government was also unwilling to withdraw the environmental clearance to mine uranium from Domiasiat-Mawthabah area issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in December 2007, he said.
The KSU leader also called upon the people of the area to be wise and not be misled about the road because if they take a wrong decision this time, the present and the next generation will suffer. He also called upon the members of the union to remain strong in their principle in the fight for the Jaitbynriew even as he said that the KSU will soon take a decision on further course of action to protest against the move by the government.
Langrin Youth Welfare Association (LYWA) President BS Lyngdoh and members of the association were also present during the rally.
