Shillong: Tensions simmered in Meghalaya on Tuesday as members of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) rallied against the proposed Meghalaya State Investment Promotion & Facilitation Act, 2024 (MSIPF), labelling it a threat to tribal rights and sovereignty.
The protestors, wielding blue flags and displaying bold slogans on banners and placards, vocally opposed the MSIPF and the introduction of railway lines in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
The demonstration was halted by state police before reaching the Assembly premises in Shillong.
KSU leaders accused the government of undermining the spirit of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act by amending the MSIPF.
They alleged that the legislation empowers the Meghalaya Investment Promotion Authority (MIPA), formerly Invest Meghalaya Agency, to acquire and allocate land for private investment, a move they argued would erode tribal landholdings.
Speaking on the issue, KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah expressed strong discontent, stating, “The MSIPF is a draconian act that jeopardizes our land and employment opportunities. It benefits a select few at the cost of our people’s rights.”
He warned that protests would escalate if the government failed to heed their demands.
Another key contention was the proposed introduction of railway connectivity in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills without adequate measures to curb the influx of outsiders.
“Implement the Inner Line Permit first, then discuss railway expansion,” read one placard, summarising the union’s stance.
ALSO READ: Meghalaya’s Byrnihat tops global pollution list as India’s air quality crisis deepens
Thabah challenged the assumption that railways would lower costs for essential goods, pointing to the example of Imphal in Manipur.
“Despite being further from Guwahati than Shillong, Imphal enjoys cheaper goods without railway connectivity. This undermines the argument for railways as a cost-reduction measure,” he said.
He further cautioned that railway development could lead to demographic shifts unfavourable to indigenous communities, citing the example of Dimapur in Nagaland, where locals have reportedly become minorities due to an influx of outsiders.
“We cannot allow the same fate to befall the Khasi and Jaintia Hills,” Thabah asserted.
