Khasi Chief asks govt to ban student's body in Meghalaya

Shillong, June 22 (UNI) Constitutional head of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) H S Shylla have asked the Meghalaya government to impose a ban on Khasi Student's Union (KSU) for its ''illegal activities ''.

Mr Shylla, a known critic of the influential student body for opposing Uranium mining in the state, said the KSU should be banned for its illegal activities during the recent agitations.

''The agitation of the KSU is totally reprehensible and the state government should punish the detained KSU members under stringent laws like National Security Act instead of MPDA,'' the KHADC Chief Executive Member told UNI here today.

However, the student's body ridiculed Mr Shylla's demand terming it as ''idiotic'', and said that the KSU agitation was in the interest of the micro tribal Khasi society.

'' We are being forced by the government to take to agitation as the government rejects the peoples voice,'' KSU leader Mebanker Lapang here said.

The KSU, which spearheads the movement against Uranium mining since June 4 had called for fresh road blockade, demanding the unconditional release of their five jailed members, booked under Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act (MPDA).

The state had witnessed a number of arsons which the KSU had denied that its members were involved in arson and stone pelting.

Threatening to file a contempt of court petition in the High Court against the KSU if it failed to stop its agitation, Mr Shylla said the daily wage earners and rural people have been victimised by the KSU agitations ''It is very unfortunate that political leaders have no courage to condemn the action of the KSU,'' he said.

He, however, said that he would have nothing against the Union if it carried out its agitational programmes in ''democratic ways without affecting the people's fundamental right''.

Hundreds of trucks carrying food, medicines and other essential supplies to Mizoram, Tripura, Barak Valley of Asom and parts of Manipur were stranded in Byrnihat area bordering Meghalaya-Asom border, as the five-night road blockade, entered its fourth day today.

The KSU road blockade, demanding the release of jailed Union leaders has affected the National Highways- 40 and 44, the life lines of Mizoram, Tripura, Barak Valley of Asom and parts of Manipur.

UNI