SHILLONG, MAY 18: Declaring their agitation was “no more against Shree Cement but directly against the Meghalaya government,” the Jaintia National Council (JNC) and Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) led a protest march in Shillong on Monday to demand the scrapping of a May 22 public hearing for the company’s limestone mining project at Lum Syrman.

The march, which began at Malki ground and headed toward the Secretariat, was halted midway by police and district officials.

“We do not want to use our force. We want the protest to be peaceful and respectful to both sides, to the administration and to the police department,” JNC president Sambormi Lyngdoh said. “We are here today to make our voice clear to the Government.”

At the centre of the protest are allegations that Shree Cement’s Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) violates the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act and was improperly cleared.

“What we found in the EIA is very comical,” Lyngdoh said. “Before any company could conduct a public hearing they should receive terms of reference from the state government, but in this EIA of Shree Cement, we have witnessed it clearly stated that terms of reference have been approved by the SEIAA and SEAC of the Gujarat government. So this is purely illegal.”

Lyngdoh said the group had filed complaints with multiple state departments but received “no official clarification” to date.

He added that during last year’s hearing, “the people from the village of Daistong were not getting a chance to participate,” and claimed NGOs were “stopped on the way by blocking the road with the dumper.”

The upcoming hearing covers limestone mining across “more than 217 hectares,” he said.

“We want the government to stop this public hearing because it is clearly illegal.”

Lyngdoh further alleged intimidation tactics ahead of the May 22 hearing.

“In East Jaintia, to conduct this public hearing, we know the government is trying to deploy their mafias and gangsters to stop the public from participating,” he said. “Therefore, we from JNC and the JSU, we are against these steps taken by the government.”

He argued that the state bears responsibility for allowing the project to advance. “Without the consent of the government, no company can set up their plant in the state of Meghalaya,” Lyngdoh said.

On employment, he said promises of local jobs have not materialised. “These cement plants try to brainwash our public by offering them jobs, but what we have witnessed in our district, we have 8-9 cement plants and a lot of coke factories but the employees are from outside the State and only a few percent are from local villages,” he said.

The JNC has urged the State to adopt a policy reserving “80% of jobs in the cement companies” for indigenous Khasi, Jaintia and Garo people.

Lyngdoh also cited risks to heritage and livelihoods. He said the mining area contains “a cave that connects to our history” where freedom fighter Kiang Nangbah hid during the 1861-62 conflict with the British.

“If the mining by the company will continue, all those caves will be destroyed and the river Lytein will be destroyed,” he said.

“The surrounding of that area is paddy field of the people. So agricultural land will also be destroyed and livelihood of the people will be destroyed.”

JSU general secretary Neikee Mukhim echoed the demand to scrap the hearing. “We have come here to oppose the public hearing to be organized on May 22 and demand the State Government to immediately scrap this public hearing,” Mukhim said.

He claimed the Elaka head had said “people outside Daistong village could not take part in the public hearing,” and accused the Government of “misusing power, threatening that people should not come to oppose or support in this public hearing.”

“If the government tries to forcefully hold this public hearing, we will protest and try to block the officials from holding the public hearing and anything may happen on that day,” Mukhim warned. “If anything happens on that day the Government and district administration should take full responsibility.”

Mukhim alleged a violation of the Land Transfer Act, 1971. “Locals are allowed to sell their land to a non-tribal, that is Bharat Sharma,” he said. “This Syrpai Sukhlain, the owner of this area, is trying to sell this land to Bharat Sharma, who is the owner of the company. In the Sixth Schedule, you cannot sell the land to a non-tribal.”

He also questioned the EIA’s validity. “EIA belongs to Gujarat because according to the terms of reference, the EIA belongs to Gujarat because the Government of India tried to conduct the public hearing on behalf of the Gujarat people, not on behalf of Meghalaya people,” Mukhim said.

He further stated that “the JHADC is supposed to be the authority looking after the tribal land but the JHADC is not involved in the EIA of this company.”

Referring to the previous hearing, Mukhim alleged, “We have seen the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) try to use their mafia and goons to block people who are opposing. This is not acceptable in a democracy. If we are not allowed to make our voice heard, then this is not a public hearing, it is a private hearing.”

Lyngdoh said the groups would now form a committee with “residents of Elaka Nongkhlieh, JNC and JSU,” and may invite “all NGOs from East Jaintia Hills” before announcing their next step.