Sohra, July 15: The Khasi Student Union today organizes a public meeting in Sohra market against the plan to implement railway. This meeting was attended by all the union members of sohra unit, the General Secretary of the union along with the other headman of its localities. The meeting attracts many people as it was also a market day of the whole Sohra.
On speaking at the meeting the president of Sohra circle Mr S.Synrem clearly point out the false promise of the government regarding employment in railways by citing example of the North Eastern Council where there only few Khasis who truly get employed in the office. The headman of Nongrim, Mr Batista Khongphai directly point fingers at the chief minister by saying “who is he to bring train in our land without the consent from its people”.
The Union clearly stated that they will never be against any development but the government must first provides better education system in the region, proper infrastructure as most student has to travel to shillong for better or higher studies. One of the senior citizen Mr J.J Sawain said that from the time of our ancestors the khasi land has always been the land of the people not any individuals, so how can the chief minister alone decides about bringing train to the region?.
The general secretary Mr D.V Thabah educate the people about the affect of railway to its region by saying that this is not the first time that the Union has stood firmly against railway. It has begun its fight since the 1988. He clearly stated that “we don’t want our state to be like Assam, Tripura and Sikkim where influx has grown since the implementation of railways”.
He lashed out at the chief minister for bringing out tourism as an excuse for railways by saying that though thousands of tourist throng to this place but what profit does the local get as tourist usually comes with vehicles from Assam or other neighboring state as there is lack of entry or exit checking points. The union clearly indicates that it will fight to the end until the government provides proper mechanism in tackling influx in the state.
The union lashed out to the government and the police department for harassing the members of the student union like they were terrorist. Since the Byrnihat incident 25 students union are in jail and many more are being hunted by the police. The union appeals to the government to use its resources in tackling the drugs menace in the state rather than hunting the members of the student union.
