SHILLONG: Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) criticized the Governor of Meghalaya, Tathagata Roy for not voicing the plight faced by local residents in mainland India while he express concern only for the migrants.
In a statement issued here, the president of KSU, Lambokstarwell Marngar expressed surprise at the recent tweet of the Governor Tathagata Roy’s who has disapproved the union’s stand on migrants without knowing the truth.
He has clarified that the KSU South Khasi Hills District unit apprehended 69 migrant workers at Sohra Rim (Sohra) with an intention to surrender the migrants to the concerned authorities.
Marngar said that the Governor’s tweet is only to find fault with the union and said, “The message we want to send to the Governor is not to be reckless in his speech or to find fault with. During the lockdown, when the residents from the state were discriminated, chased out from their homes in mainland India, why did not the Governor say anything on this?”
He added, “But when we apprehended outsiders roaming around freely even during the lockdown, he (Roy) was very quick to find fault with the organization”.
He said that the migrants were apprehended on May 13 by the union members in South Khasi Hills District during the lockdown and pointed out that the union was shocked that outsiders were freely moving around whereas the local people were following the government’s advisory depriving themselves of a day’s wage by cooperating with the government.
Stating that the issues concerning settlement of outsiders is nothing new and it is still the focal point of the organization, Marngar said, “It is not a crime to protect our own land. We will continue to be sentinels. We have every right to voice our concern, to decide, to demand as well as to protect”.
Marngar has reiterated that the organization will continue to keep a hawk’s eye on the free movement and the attempt to settle down in the state by outsiders. He said that the union will continue the task to protect the Ri (land) by any means.