Shillong witnessed high-voltage protests on Tuesday as the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) marched towards the Meghalaya Assembly, but was intercepted by the police en route.
Voicing strong opposition to the proposed amendment of the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion & Facilitation Act, 2024 (MSIPF) and the introduction of railway lines in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. With banners held high and slogans echoing through the streets, the demonstrators were intercepted by police before reaching the Assembly, but their message was loud and clear—revoke the Act or face intensified agitation.
One of the placards at the protest read, “First implement the Inner Line Permit, then talk about railway lines.”
Speaking to reporters, KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah made it clear that the Union will not back down if the government fails to heed their demands. “It is also to convey a message to the government that we vehemently oppose the MSIPF and also the introduction of railways in any part of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region,” he stated.
Expressing strong reservations against the Act, Thabah said, “We are compelled to come and stage a protest near the Assembly due to the fact that we have been conveying our message to the government that we vehemently oppose the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion & Facilitation Act, 2024 (MSIPF) and also the introduction of railways, whether in Jaintia Hills or Khasi Hills.”
He further criticized the MSIPF, calling it a direct threat to the indigenous population. “With regards to the MSIPF, we have sent a clear message to the government that this Act is draconian and anti-tribal. It will be like we are giving away our lands to different companies, which is detrimental because we are going to lose huge plots of land.”
Warning of the economic consequences, he added, “We stand to lose (the land), we also lose employment opportunities as this Act will only benefit a few people.”
Taking a dig at the government’s attempt to amend the law, Thabah said, “A few days back, the government introduced an amendment to the MSIPF, but we can see that the amendment is just an eyewash. It is very weak and still more or less the same. Therefore, we are compelled to come here and stage a protest to voice our concerns regarding the ramifications that MSIPF will have on the indigenous tribals of the state.”
Sending a strong warning to the government, Thabah stated, “If the government does not revoke this Act, then the KSU will be forced to take other measures. This is a simple protest. We will be forced to increase the magnitude of the protest if the state government turns a deaf ear.”
On the issue of railway expansion, Thabah raised concerns over unchecked migration, citing Nagaland as an example. “If the railway comes, we understand very well that the magnitude of influx of outsiders will be aggravated, and it will become more and more. In certain states like Nagaland, we can see Dimapur, where the population of Nagas has become a minority in front of outsiders, as ILP (Inner Line Permit) in Nagaland is not enforced across the entire state. If you go to Dimapur, you will see the reality of what happened there.”
He also dismissed the argument that railway connectivity would significantly reduce the cost of essential commodities in Meghalaya. “We understand that the railway is important. Certain people are saying that if the railway comes, essential commodities will be cheaper. But if you look at Shillong, it is only 100 km from Guwahati, while Imphal is around 300 km from Guwahati. Why then are essential commodities cheaper in Manipur than in Shillong? Manipur also doesn’t have a railway. Yes, it can bring benefits, but we can understand that it is more of a bane than a boon.”