SHILLONG, Jan 19: The state government and the district administration, which were busy making arrangements for a smooth conduct of the NEC plenary session chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and also tackling the VPP sit-in, were caught off guard on Friday when the HYC took out a surprise protest against Shah and the Ministry of Home Affairs for their stony silence on the state’s demand for implementation of ILP and inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule.
Shouting slogans and carrying placards the group initially intended to march towards the Raj Bhavan or the State Convention Centre where Shah was chairing the plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC).
However, a tight security cover stopped them on their tracks and pushed them back to the Civil Hospital junction in front of the statue of U Kiang Nongbah where members of the group released black balloons and shouted slogans against Shah.
HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem said, “Our intention was to march towards Raj Bhavan and towards the place where the Union Home Minister was chairing the NEC meeting but we were stopped here due to the promulgation of Section 144 by the district administration.”
He made it clear that their main intent was to send a message across to the central government, especially the Union Home Minister, to pay heed to the state’s long-pending demands.
He reminded that despite resolutions being passed in the Assembly, none of the demands has been granted.
“Whenever we meet the CM he informs us that the Home Ministry is examining the matter. Five years have gone by and they are still examining the matter,” he lamented.
