SHILLONG: Home Minister James Sangma assured that the electrification project of the state government in Umwali, Langpih village in West Khasi Hills will 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 will keep a tab on his assurance and will think of other ways and means if it is not materialised.
“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 in Langpih to protect the people entirely.
President of KSU West Khasi Hills, John Fischer Nongsiang demanded to establish a police station and expressed hope that the new government will materialise it.Nongsiang 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-border dispute.
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 state government remains silent if Assam takes up developmental activities.
Marngar reiterated that security personnel should be deployed in the border areas to ensure that activities from 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.
He informed that the KSU will work out with All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) to address the border disputes.
Commenting on the border dispute which has been eluding the state for 47 years, he said, “It is time for the state government to take out documents pertaining to border of Meghalaya.”
On the other hand, the union also demanded that the state government should extend financial assistance to the victims of the lathi-charge incident.
