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Tensions Run High in Shillong as Khasi Students’ Union Protests proposed Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Act

Shillong, March 11 – The picturesque hill station of Shillong turned chaotic on Wednesday as the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) took to the streets, voicing strong opposition to the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Act, 2024. The proposed legislation has sparked widespread discontent among the local population, particularly the Khasi and Jaintia tribes, who fear it would erode their cultural identity and way of life.

Led by KSU General Secretary Donald V. Thabah, the protesters, armed with banners and flags, marched towards the Meghalaya Assembly, denouncing the government’s plan as “against Meghalaya’s tribes.” Thabah, in a statement to India Today NE, emphasized that the union is opposed to the Act, which it views as a move to attract non-tribals to the state and undermine the unique cultural heritage of the Khasi and Jaintia communities.

The KSU’s concerns are not limited to the proposed Act alone. The union is also vehemently against the implementation of railway lines in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region, citing fears that it would lead to a massive influx of outsiders. “The project would displace the local population and alter the region’s demography forever,” Thabah warned.

The protesters, who were joined by scores of locals, shouted slogans against the railway project and the implementation of the MSIPF, but their march was met with resistance. Authorities, concerned about maintaining law and order, restricted the protesters from reaching the Assembly, The KSU has long been a vocal critic of the railway project, citing concerns about the potential impact on the local community and the environment.

The union has also demanded that the state government focus on implementing the long-pending Inner Line Permit system, which they believe would help safeguard the interests of the local population. As the protests raged on, it became clear that the controversy surrounding the proposed Act and the railway project would continue to simmer, with the KSU at the forefront of the opposition.

Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/meghalaya/video/meghalaya-investment-act-against-states-tribes-ksu-leads-protest-march-to-assembly-1182314-2025-03-11?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2025-03-11 12:24:00