Shillong, Oct 11: Five pressure groups which launched the Save Hynniewtrep Mission, on Tuesday have announced to intensify their agitation to press for series of unfulfilled demands like implementation of ILP, inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule among others.
“We have informed him that we have launched the Save Hynniewtrep Mission and from today and in days to come the five organisations will further intensify and launch a series of agitations,” said HYC General Secretary, Roykupar Synrem who along with other leaders of the agitators had met the Home Minister.
He informed the government and the district administration that surprise agitations will keep on happening in the city of Shillong.
“Not just in Shillong but every place the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister visit or any Minister visits whether it is for their own party meeting or for official meeting our members, volunteers will go to those places ask questions and remind them as to what happened to these nine-point charters of demands of ours,” he added.
The demands include- implementation of the ILP, inclusion of Khasi Language in the Eighth Schedule, review inter-state boundary MoU, relocation of Harijan colony, CBI or judicial probe into Late Cherristerfield Thangkhiew’s alleged killing , filling up of vacant posts in government departments and immediate repeal of Gambling Act.
Asked if there was any assurance from the Home Minister, he said, “The Home Minister has no power to give us assurance he has already told us it is under political department and out of his jurisdiction”.
“We went there to inform him so that he can take our message to the people who can take a decision,” he added.
On violation of section 144 Crpc, he said, ” The Supreme Court has time and again stated that you cannot implement laws inorder to keep people from protesting from showing and exercising their right”.
“That is why I have already stated that there is a ploy of the government. They don’t want people to come to the street and show their voice of dissent,” he added.
Informing that most of their members were stopped in Jaintia Hills, Upper Shillong and Ri-Bhoi by the police and sent back, he said today is just half of what was supposed to come because of the police action.
“But we make it clear we will not abide by this kind of law and order measured imposed by the district magistrate,” he asserted.
He said the time frame for the first phase of agitation is till the model code of conduct is announced and during this period there will be a series of agitations but after the model code of conduct they will sit and discuss.
Pointed out that elections are coming and whether there is something political in their move, he said, ” We have already made it clear that we are not affiliated to any political party and our main concern is that these issues which affects our people and community should be implemented as soon as possible”.
On today’s agitation, he said, “We have seen the statement of Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong where he has called upon all the NGOs not to be busy in the street beating up people as the Secretariat is always open for them”.
He said based on that, the five organisations which have already launched save Hynniewtrep Mission in order to get an answer from the people who are holding the post of the Minister and Chief Minister, marched towards the secretariat to meet them and question them and get a clarity as to what happened to the resolution regarding the ILP and khasi language , the inquiry commissioner report where the one-man judicial inquiry has already stated that the police are involved in the killing of Cherristerfield Thangkhiew, what happened to the various charges of corruption in the State, what is the government doing about unemployment, job reservation policy as well as repealing the Meghalaya Gaming Act.
Stating that if someone wants to come to the secretariat to meet the representative, they have to ask the permission from the Deputy Commissioner or the district collector, he said, “We don’t have such kind of situation. On one hand the Deputy CM calls us to discuss issue in the secretariat and in the other hand they promulgated section 144 CrPC not allowing us to march towards the secretariat and meet our representatives”.
“Since when in a democracy in Meghalaya meeting the Chief Minister or Deputy CM we have to write an application to the Deputy Commissioner or district magistrate,” he questioned.
Condemning it strongly, he said, “This is just a ploy of the government to subdue the voice of the people and not to allow them to come to the street to protest and show that they are not happy with the functioning of the government”.
“May be this is a ploy of the government to further strengthen their own party so that they may again political mileage in the next election,” he added.
IANS