SHILLONG: BJP leader and South Shillong MLA, Sanbor Shullai, has alleged that the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) members, who staged a protest outside his residence recently, were politically instigated.
The protest was held against the name change of Zigzag Road to Ardhendhu Chaudhuri Road.
Talking to media persons here on Monday, Shullai said that changing the name of roads was proposed by the Greater Laban Community Development Society with the approval of all of the Rangbah Shnong.
According to Shullai, earlier this year, soon after the Cabinet approved the renaming of several roads in the state including few in Laban and Rilbong area, two KSU leaders including president of Laban unit Manly Nongpluh along with G Lyngdoh and L Myrthong visited him, demanding that the roads should not be renamed after a non-tribal.
“I explained to them that the father of Ardhendhu Chaudhuri was an MLA, and he was a former Director of Printing and Stationery department. He was a good man. I had told them that Ardhendhu was the first non-Khasi MLA who brought a motion in the House for the inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule,” he said.
According to the MLA, during his meeting, he told the KSU leaders that the wife of Late Ardhendhu Chaudhuri is a Khasi lady, born and brought up here, and is the president of Seng Long Kmie of Kench’s Trace following which they said they withdrew their objection.
Hinting that the KSU leaders may have been politically instigated by his rivals, Shullai said that G Lyngdoh is close to his contender FS Cajee, while KSU leader Manly Nongpluh is close to Mitchel Wankhar, MDC from Laban and Mawprem.
He also said that the KSU leaders were earlier demanding that the Zigzag Road should be named after Late Daplinstar Mawlong, and now they demanded that the road be named after Late HS Lyngdoh.
“There is no consistency on their part,” he said
He said that he has no problems if people or NGOs proposed other roads to be in the area to be named after Late Daplinstar Mawlong or Late HS Lyngdoh, as there are several other roads in the area which can be renamed.
“If they want to propose any roads to be named after great individuals and statues to be erected, they can come to me any time with the proposal but my request to them is please don’t use politics,” Shullai said.
