Shillong,May 30: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) today demanded the scrapping of the railway project in absence of effective mechanisms to check influx of “outsiders” into the state.
“We demand that the project should be scrapped immediately, till the government is ready to come up with effective mechanisms to prevent unregulated flow of influx into the state,” KHNAM working president Adelbert Nongrum said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
His statement came in the wake of the arrest of as many as five leaders and members of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Saturday last, following a violent protest against the ongoing construction of a railway line in Ri Bhoi District.
Demanding the immediate unconditional release of the arrested KSU activists, Nongrum however slammed the Congress led state government for allegedly turning a deaf ear towards the demand relating to the railway project in the state.
“All along the demand was for the government to come up with effective mechanism to check unabated influx before implementing the project. Unfortunately, the government has failed which reflect its insensitive attitude towards the interest of the indigenous people,” he said.
He also demanded the KHADC to take immediate action in view that the project was implemented without obtaining any NOC from the Council.
“If the KHADC is keeping quite on this serious issue, it would be meaningless to preserve and protect the ownership rights of the tribal people over the land,” he said.