The Khasi Students Union (KSU), South West Khasi Hills district unit will hold a sit-in-demonstration on August 10 at Mawsynram over the delay in declaring the region as a Civil Sub Division.
Mawsynram in East Khasi Hills bordering South West Khasi Hills district is a Community & Rural Development Block and politicians have been promising to upgrade it to a Civil Sub Division since 2018.
The KSU Sawsymper, Balat Border Area and Lawbah Border circles said the Mawsynram block was carved out in 1962.
The pressure group said that they had sought an appointment with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma since last year and even this year after the Lok Sabha election, but got no response.
Pointing out that Mawsynram block is one of the largest with an area of 510 sq. Km with around 162 villages and a population that exceeded 54,000 the KSU said, “In this last 13 years the population will cross more than 70,000.”
While the distance from Mawsynram to Shillong would be around 60 km and if the border villages with Bangladesh are taken into account the distance would be about 90 km, the KSU added.
It may be mentioned that several public meetings and a signature campaign was held in Mawsynram led by former MLA, Himalaya Shangpliang, representatives of the villages under Mawsynram including the MDC to take up the demand, which has been the aspiration of the people in the region for 20 long years.
