Shillong, Aug 19: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) believes that none of its members were responsible for the acts of violence, including damage to property and physical assaults of individuals, seen during its public rally carried out today.
The pressure group instead pointed the finger at outside elements who wanted to “divert” the rally from its purpose of pressuring the state government to meet certain of the KSU’s demands.
Speaking at a press conference here tonight, KSU general secretary Reuben A Najiar said that the leaders of the organisation had been “shaken” after seeing clips of the violence that were shared on social media and news channels.
Najiar and other KSU leaders were at the front of the procession and did not know about the attacks that were carried out until the rally ended. The KSU leader said that instructions were explicitly made that the rally should be peaceful before it began at the union’s headquarters in Jaiaw.
He stated that previous public meetings held on the demands of the KSU in district headquarters passed peacefully. Najiar suspected that, as the rally was open to the public, certain elements took advantage of it to cause trouble.
In light of this, the KSU has decided to call off its planned march from its office to Khyndailad on Friday, fearing that the same miscreants might try and use the march to again carry out violent acts. However, the agitation against the state government will go ahead in the form of a sit-in demonstration at Khyndailad that will feature only the KSU’s senior figures.
The union had given the state government 15 days to act on five core demands, namely the cancellation of the Shree Cement public hearing, implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act 2016, Migrant Workmen Act 2020, institute promised recruitment reforms at NEIGRIHMS and institute a “clean” recruitment process in state government jobs.
Earlier in the day Najiar said that the KSU had received no official communication from the government during the period regarding talks on its demands. Today, however, government spokesperson and cabinet minister Wailadmiki Shylla said that the administration is open for talks.
“We are willing to talk to the government, but our talks should lead to some solutions,” Najiar said, adding that the union did not want the government to use talks merely as a means to delay action.
He said the demands were not new and had been raised with the government on several occasions.
Asked about the possibility of police cases and arrests following the agitation, Najiar said such action had historically been part of the union’s protests.
He claimed that KSU members had faced arrests and cases during previous agitations and said the union was prepared for similar consequences.
“We are firm on our demands because if these demands are met, it will not only benefit the KSU, it will benefit the people of Meghalaya at large,” Najiar said.
This is the first major agitation undertaken by the KSU under its new leadership.
