SHILLONG: Meghalaya Home Minister James Sangma has assured that the electrification project of the state government in Umwali, Langpih village in West Khasi Hills would go ahead.
The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) central body and KSU from West Khasi Hills district along with traditional heads of Umwali, Langpih met Sangma on Tuesday to apprise him about the harassment episode by Assam Police against the local Khasis in Langpih.
Following the lathi-charge by Assam police on February 14, the KSU president, Lambokstar Marngar said the government should deploy security forces in the disputed border areas.
He said the union would keep a tab on his assurance and will think of other ways and means if it is not materialise.
“We reminded the state government of the 2010 Langpih firing incident when four local Khasis lost their lives to bullets. We don’t want a repeat of the incident again,” he said.
Marngar said the government should set up a permanent police outpost at Langpih to protect the local Khasi people round the clock.
President of KSU West Khasi Hills, John Fischer Nongsiang demanded a police station and expressed hope that the new government would facilitate it.
The president said the union found it unacceptable for local Khasis to be targeted time and again even as the governments of both states are not able to find a solution to the inter-state boundary..
Stating that the state government is too soft, he said Assam police would often disturb developmental activities sanctioned by Meghalaya government in the border areas whereas the Meghalaya government remained silent if Assam takes up developmental activities.
Marngar reiterated that security personnel should be deployed in the border areas to ensure that developmental activities of the state government are implemented without a hitch.
“The Home Minister assured us that police forces will be strengthened to ensure such cases of harassment are not repeated in the future,” he said.