Shillong, Sept 26: The Jaintia Students Union (JSU) Central Body hereby issues a legally binding directive and final warning to the Regional Managers, Branch Managers, and administrative heads of all financial institutions operating within the state of Meghalaya.
This mandate explicitly covers all Commercial Banks, Small Finance Banks (SFBs), Co-operative Banks, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), and all other finance offices, encompassing Government, Private, and Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) branches.
We expressly mandate that all banking branches, particularly those operating across the East Jaintia Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts, must remain completely closed on Sunday, September 27, 2026.
The JSU claim that Meghalaya is a Christian majority state, Sunday holds profound religious and cultural significance as a sacred day dedicated to worship, family, and community life.
The recent directives instructing banks to conduct regular operations on a Sunday represent a direct affront to the religious sentiments and constitutional rights of the indigenous people.
Administrative convenience cannot and will not supersede the established religious traditions of this state. Furthermore, the JSU issues a direct call to action to the newly inducted BJP MLAs of Meghalaya.
If these representatives truly value the sentiments of the Christian community and genuinely wish to demonstrate that they are here to work for the Christians of the state, they must immediately take up this issue.
It is incumbent upon them to intervene and ensure that the alleged ugly ideology of the RSS and BJP which is widely perceived as anti-Christian is not allowed to take root or dictate policies in Meghalaya. We expect them to stand with the people they represent and defend our sacred days of rest.
The JSU expects immediate and total compliance from all banking and financial institutions regarding this Sunday closure. We urge all authorities to respect the sentiments of the people.
Do not force the Union to take other measures which will make them sad. We issue this directive in the interest of maintaining peace, harmony, and mutual respect within the region.
However, should any bank choose to defy this notice and open for business on September 27, the responsibility for any resulting disruptions or regrettable actions will fall entirely upon the bank management and the authorities who ignored this warning said Mr.Jersom Shylla President, JSU Central Body in the press statement.
