Khliehriat (Meghalaya): Hundreds of residents from Daištong village and neighbouring areas, along with members of the Jaiñtia National Council (JNC), staged a protest on Wednesday outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Khliehriat, East Jaiñtia Hills district of Meghalaya, opposing the alleged transfer of community land to a private cement company.
The demonstrators accused the authorities of facilitating what they described as an unlawful handover of ancestral land and demanded that all proceedings related to the disputed land be stopped immediately.
Protesters carried placards reading “Shree Cement Go Back” and “Daištong Land Not a Factory Land,” while raising slogans in the local language expressing opposition to the alleged illegal sale of land.
Addressing the gathering, community leaders, village elders and JNC representatives said the land in question belongs to the local community under customary ownership and cannot be transferred for industrial purposes without the informed consent of the villagers.
They asserted that any attempt to override traditional land rights would be strongly resisted.
JNC president Sambormi Lyngdoh warned that the agitation would be intensified if the ongoing public hearing process does not halt the proposed land acquisition.
He said the organisation, along with village representatives, is also preparing to seek legal remedies, including approaching the High Court, to safeguard what they described as ancestral land rights.
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The protest remained peaceful but reflected growing anger among residents who fear the loss of customary land and livelihoods.
The JNC reiterated that it would continue its campaign until the authorities and the company withdraw from the contested area.
However, organisers also issued a strong caution, stating that if the public hearing proceeds and officials or representatives allegedly aligned with the company attempt to use force, the protesters would respond in kind.
Police and district authorities have not yet commented on the protest or the allegations raised by the demonstrators.
