Shillong, April 27: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Wednesday warned that “all hell will break loose” if the state government succumbs to the demands of the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC).
“The state government should not succumb to their (HPC) demands and if that happens all we can say is that ‘all hell will break loose’. The KSU will oppose the move and not only the KSU but the public, the local indigenous people of Meghalaya will oppose and there might be mahem in the state,” KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah told reporters.
This came after the HPC in a meeting called by the state government had demanded that 200 square meters be provided to each of 342 households in a 10 acre land in exchange of Them Iew Mawlong.
Stating that the issue is ticking like a time bomb, Thabah said, “It has happened before and it will happen again. (Therefore) we want to reiterate that their demands should not be accepted.”
He also demanded that the state government should expeditiously ensure that the government servants are relocated and illegal settlers are evicted from the Them Iew Mawlong.
Thabah said that the KSU will put its plan into action depending on the decision of the state government on the demands.
He said the HPC’s demands are highly unacceptable and are making a mockery of the government and the entire state as a whole.
“The HPC are demanding 10 acres of land in order to provide 200 square meters per family which is equivalent to 2,000 sq ft per household. When you look in and around Shillong, there are people who are living in a very small space especially people who live in rented houses,” Thabah said adding “Had they been staying illegally in Punjab, they would have been evicted since day one. But here the government and the people are very lenient.”
Further, the KSU leader also asked the government employees residing at Them Iew Mawlong to comply with the decision taken by the government and their respective departments for relocating them.
“The government servants settling there in Them metor should comply to the government’s procedure,” he said adding “As for those who are settling illegally, they are illegal and they should be evicted. Eviction of illegal settlers is happening all over India if you look even in Assam, even in Chandigarh – everywhere in India, illegal settlers are being evicted. Here in Meghalaya also, if you look at vendors and hawkers they are being evicted but it doesn’t mean that they will come and demand you build a shop for us, you bear the expenditure, you give us a plot of land…”
Also stating that the HPC is behaving like a “khun khadduh”, who is the one that inherits all the Khasi ancestral properties, Thabah reminding by saying, “They are not locals, they are migrants and some of them are settling illegally.”
On the HPC’s claim ownership over the land at Them Iew Mawlong, the KSU general secretary said, “The HPC did not receive a syrnot from the Syiem of Hima Mylliem. This area falls under the Sixth Schedule. You need a syrnot, a certificate from the Chief to be recognized as a village council or a village dorbar. They should not indulge in these issues. If they claim that then they should prove when did they buy the land and how are they able to buy land in a Schedule area.”
He further reiterated, “the government should not accept to the demand of the kharmetor or the HPC, the KSU will not accept that and the KSU speaks on behalf of the entire Khasi community.”
