SHILLONG, March 11: Members of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Tuesday rallied towards the state Assembly at Rilbong in protest against the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion Facilitation (MSIPF) Act of 2024 and raise other issues. They were stopped at Garrison Bridge by the security forces.
The amendment to the Act was tabled in the Assembly in the form of the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion & Facilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The government removed Para 34 of the Act and added a line saying the Act shall not be in derogation of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Regulation Act, 1971.
According to the KSU, the MSIPF is against the tribal people and the Land Transfer Act.
KSU general secretary Donald Thabah told reporters that under the MSIPF Act, the tribals will lose out on land and without land, they are as good as dead.
He said their concern and suggestions were communicated to the state government in various ways. “We told the government to repeal the Act because giving land directly to private investors will go against the Land Transfer Act,” he said.
He further said the creation of land banks is dangerous and the tribals stand to lose if swathes of land are leased out to private investors.
Later, a KSU team held a marathon meeting with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and demanded immediate repeal of the principal MSIPF Act.
Following the meeting, Thabah said the union objected to many sections of the Act but the Chief Minister claimed it will not give absolute power to the government. He insisted the principal Act would give confidence to investors and the people.
“We are giving verbal assurance to further amend the Act in the next session,” he said while adding that the government also assured the KSU team that the rules would be framed after consultations with all stakeholders, as the KSU has demanded.
However, the KSU conveyed its apprehension about the Act and said it would not benefit the local people.
“A verbal assurance cannot be accepted and we are not 100% satisfied,” Thabah said while stressing that the Act should be scrapped if does not turn out to be people-friendly.
Asking tribal leaders of the state to speak up on behalf of the people, he said that the Act does not have enough provisions to safeguard the interest of the local indigenous people.
He said the KSU would decide on its future course of action on the Act in its next executive committee meeting. “If the government is sincere, it should reject the principal Act and go for an amendment,” he added.
Thabah said the protest was also meant to convey the KSU’s opposition to any railway project in the state.
“We understand the railways are important. Some people say if railway comes essential commodities will be cheaper. But why are essentials cheaper in Manipur than in Meghalaya when Imphal is 300 km from Guwahati and Shillong is 100 km from Guwahati?” he argued.
The KSU leaders also highlighted the delay in addressing their demand for the implementation of the Inner-Line Permit in Meghalaya and the absence of any mechanism to check influx into the state.
