SHILLONG, June 16: Marshall SB Biam, president of the Jaintia Coal Owners, Miners, Suppliers and Workers Association (JCOMSWA), was rushed to Woodland Hospital in Jowai on Tuesday evening after his health failed on the 16th day of an indefinite hunger strike.
Biam was moved to the hospital at approximately 6:45 PM after association members collectively determined that his deteriorating condition required urgent medical intervention. He was accompanied by family members and supporters from the protest site at Ladrymbai Dongwah.
Biam began his fast on June 6 to pressure the state government into reopening coal mining operations, which have been shut for 12 years. The JCOMSWA maintains that the decade-long ban has decimated the livelihoods of thousands of families dependent on the sector.
While Biam is currently undergoing treatment, the association clarified that the decision to hospitalize him was a necessary safety measure and does not signal an end to their demand for the resumption of mining activities.
