Shillong, Dec 7: The Hynñiewtrep Youths Council activists on Thursday held a hunger strike to demand for implementation of strong mechanisms including inner line permit (ILP) to check influx.
Though the strike was planned continuously for three days till Saturday at the parking lot near Additional Secretariat, but the East Khasi Hills district administration did not allow the protesters to continue the agitation.
HYC activists were allowed upto 4 pm on Thursday and later they were removed from the venue after they refused to disperse, and police took them in a bus to Mawngap police. Later at night, police brought back to Shillong and dropped them at HYC office, Mawlai Nongkwar, and the activists continued with the hunger strike there.
On Friday the activists will again continue the agitation at the parking lot near Additional Secretariat.
Earlier, during the day, HYC activists assembled befor the bust of former students’ leader, late Bull N Lyngdoh and paid tribute to him on his 23 death anniversary at Malki here.
From there, the activists marched to the parking lot for the hunger strike.
The 14-pooint demands of HYC include implementation of ILP, residential permit, cut-off year for non-indigenous residents, implementing the concept of voting at the place of origin, besides other mechanisms.
HYC general-secretary, Robertjune Kharjahrin condemned the government’s action and said that right of the citizens to hold peaceful protest has been curbed just because the Assembly session will begin on Friday.
Stating that HYC members would continue with the hunger strike, Kharjahrin demanded that the State Assembly should pass a resolution to implement mechanisms including ILP to check influx in the state.
He said that if the claim of the chief minister that the issue related to ILP had been discussed and resolved, “With whom the issue has been discussed and resolved? The various groups that demanded the implementation of comprehensive mechanisms have also not given up the demand to implement ILP in the state.”
The HYC has threatened to launch a campaign against the Congress and other political parties if they fail to include the 14-point demands in their election manifesto.