KSU calls road blockade in Meghalaya

Shillong, Jun 17 (UNI) The Khasi Students' Union (KSU) today called five-day road blockade in three districts of Meghalaya to demand the release of their jailed Union members.

The road blockade would be effective from 1700 hours of June 19 to 0500 hours of June 23 in East, West Khasi Hill and Ri-Bhoi districts, KSU Leader Mebanker Lapang told UNI here.

He said they would also block National Highways 40 and 44, the lifeline of Mizoram, Tripura, Barak Valley of Asom and parts of Manipur.

Last week, the state government had arrested five KSU activists under the Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act (MPDA) for disrupting public peace during the recent KSU agitations over the uranium mining issue.

''If the government still does not release our arrested members within this period, the KSU would have no other option but to intensify its agitation to secure their release,'' Mr Lapang said.

The five activists booked under MPDA included KSU Organising Secretary Daniel Khyriem.

However, East Khasi Hill District Deputy Commissioner B Dhar said the police hunt for top leaders of the KSU would continue and they too would be booked under MPDA if arrested.

Meanwhile, KSU frontline leaders Samuel Jyrwa and Hamlet Dohling had gone underground, fearing arrest, after announcing their week-long agitation.

UNI