Shillong, Aug 11: The attention of the State Government has been drawn to a news item that “Bandh spree in M’laya: HNLC now calls 48 hours shutdown” where the HNLC has called for a forty eight hours shutdown from 6 pm of August 13 to 6 pm of August 15, 2014 to protest against the NGT ban on coal mining and to boycott the Independence Day Celebration in the State. HNLC is a proscribed organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 since the 16th November 2000 and has been boycotting the celebrations of national days of importance through bandh calls.
The State Government has taken a serious note of these avoidable and unnecessary calls for bandh particularly by an organization which has been proscribed by law and would like to reiterate its firm commitment to maintain law and order at all costs and to ensure that the security of its citizens is not compromised in any way. Members of the public in general and the Government employees in particular are exhorted not to pay any heed to this unreasonable call and to come out as they would on any normal day and carry on with their daily activities without any fear or apprehension of reprisals.
The State Government also requested the members of the public to come out in large numbers and witness the 68th Independence Day Celebration which will be an indication of our maturity and send out a strong message that the people of the State can no longer be willfully held to siege at every turn. The State Government reiterates its commitment to deal with such cases with a firm hand in keeping with its Constitutional obligation to ensure peace and a secure environment to all the citizens of the State.
Once again, Government takes this opportunity to appeal to all the citizens in the State to firmly denounce such unwarranted call, and to assist the administration in the dutiful discharge of its obligations.(SP News)
