By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 7: Newly elected KSU president Raymond P Kharjana on Saturday declared that the union’s new leadership will continue to champion indigenous rights and will not be intimidated by the government or external forces.
Addressing a gathering after being sworn in for the 2026-2029 term at the Soso Tham Auditorium, Kharjana reaffirmed the union’s commitment to the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), protection of indigenous land, and educational reforms. He also reiterated the union’s opposition to uranium mining and unchecked influx before any railway project is considered in Meghalaya.
The new Central Executive Committee (CEC), led by Kharjana and General Secretary Reuben A Najiar, was formally sworn in by former KSU president and NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa.
Recalling his four-month imprisonment during previous anti-railway agitations, Kharjana said the experience had only strengthened his resolve. He asserted that the KSU would not retreat from its demand for the ILP, criticizing the Centre’s lack of response to repeated memoranda. “The issue cannot end with the mere submission of memoranda. There must be sustained pressure to secure constitutional safeguards for the indigenous people,” he said.
On the prospect of uranium mining in Domiasiat, South West Khasi Hills, Kharjana warned that the KSU would strongly oppose any move to revive extraction projects. Regarding railway expansion, he stated that no discussion could take place without effective laws to monitor and regulate the entry of outsiders.
The KSU president also raised concerns over land alienation, announcing that the union would intensify its campaign for a comprehensive land protection law.
Turning to education, Kharjana cited reports of declining quality and pointed to disparities in teacher deployment. “There are schools with very few students but several teachers, while others have hundreds of students and only a handful of teachers. This imbalance must be addressed urgently,” he said. He added that the union would continue to support youth preparing for competitive examinations to increase the number of local IAS and IPS officers.
Other key priorities mentioned by the new president include tackling the drug menace, resolving the Assam-Meghalaya boundary dispute, and seeking recognition of the Khasi language under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Kharjana called upon union members to work with integrity, stating that leadership positions should be used solely for the welfare of the people rather than personal gain.
