Shillong: Taking the police by surprise, members of the KSU (Khasi Students’ Union) staged a protest at Shillong’s Harrison Bridge on March 11, opposing the government’s plan to introduce railways in Jaintia Hills and demanding the immediate repeal of the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Act (MSIPF).
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has called the KSU for a meeting later today at 4 pm.
As the union’s blue flags soared high, police swiftly erected barricades to prevent protesters from marching toward the Assembly, where the budget session was underway. Holding placards, the protesters raised slogans demanding the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), voicing concerns over an unchecked influx of outsiders into the region.
KSU general secretary Donald Thabah, addressing the demonstration, reiterated the union’s strong opposition to the MSIPF Act and railway expansion. Calling the Act “draconian and anti-tribal,” he accused the government of attempting to hand over large tracts of land to private companies and outside investors. “A tribal without land is as good as dead,” Thabah declared, adding that despite the union’s repeated objections—including a press statement in January and a formal letter to the Chief Minister—the government has remained unresponsive.
According to KSU, recent amendments to the MSIPF Act are superficial and fail to address core concerns. Thabah questioned the purpose of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act if the government itself could purchase land and lease it to outside investors. He warned that if the Act is not repealed, the union would be “forced to take other measures” to protect tribal land rights.
The union also criticized the government’s economic policies, arguing that jobs created through such measures would disproportionately favor outsiders, leaving indigenous communities with only lower-grade employment. KSU claimed that the concept of land banks, which allows leasing vast tracts of land to private investors, threatens both land security and employment for locals.
On the issue of railways, Thabah cautioned that introducing railway connectivity without a strong influx-control mechanism would be disastrous for Meghalaya’s indigenous population. Drawing a comparison with Dimapur in Nagaland, he alleged that unchecked migration had reduced the local Naga population to a minority. He dismissed claims that railways would lower commodity prices, pointing out that Manipur, despite being farther from Guwahati than Shillong, enjoys lower prices without railway connectivity. “Railways might bring some benefits, but the pain will be greater than the boon,” he warned.
The KSU made it clear that today’s protest was only a warning. If the government does not scrap the MSIPF Act, the union vowed to escalate its agitation, highlighting concerns that certain clauses grant excessive powers to the governing council, making them immune to legal consequences. Calling these provisions “authoritarian,” Thabah urged the government to repeal the Act immediately to prevent further unrest.
Also Read: How Meghalaya is taking the ‘comic book’ route to improve state education