Shillong, December 30: The Khasi Students Union (KSU) central body president at the commemoration ceremony of 154th death anniversary of Kiang Nongbah freedom fighter of the Jaintia at a function held near civil hospital, Shillong on Friday urged the Unions girls’ wing to take strong measures to protect the rights of women in the state.
“The KSU girl’s wing should take strong steps against sexual exploitations on young girls and women and this is a war in which the girl’s wing should trumpet against those people indulging in such barbaric activities,” Daniel Khryiem KSU president said while addressing his Union members from different circle and units at the live size statue of Kiang Nongbah in the city today.
Stating that during the time of Kiang Nongbah the Britishers first entered the Khasi/Jaintia lands as traders, he said “In this present day we see a similar trend as many non-tribals are coming from outside the state acting as traders to earn a living however as time passes they even try to rule our people through business.”
He added, “Today is the day in which as a community we should wake up and remember the sacrifice of our fallen heroes and to follow in their footsteps in fighting against influx and domination from outside forces so that our own people in the state can prosper.”
Khryiem said there is also an indiscriminate enrollment of non-tribals in the state and this poses a huge danger for the indigenous Khasi and Jaintia community.
“As Kiang Nongbah has led by example we to as a Union should not back down but should continue to fight and not allow these outsiders to oppress and dominate our people,” he said. The KSU leader has also reiterated his strong stand in opposing uranium mining in the state.
Meanwhile, former KSU president Samuel Jyrwa and current chairman of North East Students’ Union (NESU) in his address said, “Kiang Nongbah is not a King or a Minister however he was a common man who fought for the rights of his people and he has taught us one valuable lesson and that is we as youths of this great land does not necessarily need to be high ranking officials or a politician to fight or raise the voice of the people.”
He said Kiang Nongbah has shown the youth of the state to never back down but to always stand up for the rights of the ingenious community of the state.
Earlier, general secretary Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP-Meghalaya), David Kharsati after laying a wreath at the statue of Kiang Nongbah said there is a need for the central government to recognise Kiang Nangbah the Jaintia freedom fighter through ‘stamp’.
