By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Joint Action Committee (JAC), a conglomerate of various political parties, NGOs and traditional bodies of Mairang in West Khasi Hills district has decided to intensify its demand for a separate district by staging an indefinite hunger strike at Main Secretariat here from Tuesday.
About 30 members of the JAC including well wishers and supporters are going to take part in the strike which is scheduled to start from 10am onwards.
JAC secretary Bobby Basaiawmoit informed that the strike will continue until their demand for upgradation of Mairang Civil Sub Division to a district is met.
“We have the support of the general public in the fight for a separate district”, Basaiawmoit told reporters here on Monday adding Mairang deserves to be upgraded as a district. “It is a long-pending aspiration of the people of the area”, he stated.
The JAC secretary further informed that while the 30 members proceed with the hunger strike, public meetings will be held in different places at Mairang.
Meanwhile, reiterating their demands for creation of a new district at West Khasi Hills, four NGOs comprising FKJGP, West Khasi Hills Students’ Union (WKHSU), Western Youth Federation (WYF) and KSU has claimed that chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma will announce the name of the new district right after the Budget Session.
In the meeting held with the chief minister here on Monday, the West Khasi Hills based NGOs has demanded Dr Sangma to create at least one district at West Khasi Hills while announcing the name of the civil sub division to be upgraded right after the Budget session.
“The CM has assured us that he will announce the name of the new district along with the name of the civil sub division after the session”, WYF president TS Shangrit.
Shangrit also mentioned that the union does not have a problem if either Mawkyrwat or Mairang is upgraded to a district but the new district should be created in West Khasi Hills.
The union also stated that if the chief minister failed to deliver his promise, they will resort to other agitational programmes until their demand is met.