The Khasi Students Union (KSU) in South West Khasi Hills district has announced the death anniversary of anti-uranium activist, Spility Lyngdoh Langrin to be observed as ‘Anti-Uranium Day’ on October 28 every year.
The announcement was made by KSU district president Fowardman Nongrem today at Domiasiat to observe the first death anniversary of Spility, a woman who was the face of the decades-long anti-uranium mining movement in Meghalaya.
Family members, church leaders, members of the KSU, FKJGP, Presbyterian Youth Today International Network and others paid floral tributes at the cemetery of the Domiasiat Presbyterian Church followed by a prayer service which was followed by a meeting to remember the activist.
Known as the ‘Iron Lady’, Spility became a household name when she rejected a lucrative offer from the UCIL to sell her land after the Atomic Minerals Directorate had undertaken exploratory drilling for uranium deposits in 1993.
As she stood firm against selling her land to UCIL to mine Uranium, her words, “Money cannot buy me freedom,” had motivated locals against the “environmental ills” of uranium mining.
Echoing these same words, the KSU district president said that Spility has given them the determination to continue opposing uranium mining in Domiasiat-Wahkaji area.
Speakers at the meeting which included KSU assistant organising secretary Pynkmenlang Sanmiet, president of the Seng Samla Hima Langrin, PS Lyngdoh, FKJGP secretary (Agriculture), Bristar Mawthoh remembered Spility and her past works and thanked the family for standing steadfast against uranium mining.
