1. On the 161st death anniversary of Jaintia freedom fighter ‘U Kiang Nangbah,’ anti-influx groups in Meghalaya strongly oppose introducing railways in the region.
2. Advocating for protective mechanisms like the ILP, these groups aim to safeguard the indigenous tribal population from outsider influx.
3. They stress the state’s lack of effective measures to curb the issue, calling for attention to concerns like unemployment, student problems, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.
Shillong, Dec 31: On the 161st death anniversary of Jaintia freedom fighter ‘U Kiang Nangbah,’ anti-influx groups in Meghalaya are vehemently opposing plans to introduce railways in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region.
These groups, advocating for protective mechanisms like the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to safeguard the indigenous tribal population from outsider influx, argue that the state lacks effective measures to curb this issue.
Lambokstarwell Marngar, Chief of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), expressed his concerns during a function in Shillong, emphasizing that the absence of robust anti-influx measures makes introducing railways a risky proposition.
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He criticized ruling party members supporting the railway project and urged the government to prioritize addressing issues such as unemployment, student problems, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.
Marngar further asserted that the KSU would persist in its protests against the forced introduction of railways in the region until concrete anti-influx mechanisms, like the ILP, are implemented.
Trebor Suchen, the General Secretary of the Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU), echoed these sentiments during a tribute ceremony in Jowai, emphasizing the need to protect the cultural and demographic integrity of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region.
