KSU imposed six-day night curfew in Meghalaya

Shillong, June 25 (UNI) Mounting pressure on the Meghalaya government for unconditional release of its activists, the Khasi Student's Union (KSU) today intensified its agitation by imposing a ''six-night public curfew'' in the three districts of Meghalaya.

The government had arrested 17 KSU activists and booked seven others under the Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act (MPDA) for holding the state to ransom, imposing strikes, office-picketing and road-blockades to demand the release of their jailed activists.

Most of the activists now are cooling their heels in Williamnagar and Tura Districts Jail, Garo Hills.

The student's body, which spearheads the movement against Uranium mining since June 4, had called for fresh ''night public curfew'' from 2000 hours tomorrow to 0500 hours in East, West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts.

The ''night public curfew'' would affect the National Highways -40 and 44, the life lines of Mizoram, Tripura, Barak Valley of Asom and parts of Manipur.

''We have no other option but to resort to more agitations after the government failed to release our members'' KSU president Samuel B Jyrwa told UNI here over the phone from an undisclosed location.

Mr Jyrwa, who had gone underground to evade arrest, said the state government was taking vengeance by arresting his members and booking them under MPDA after majority of the people opposed the uranium mining project at the public hearing held at Nongbah Jynrin.

About 75 per cent of the people, who attended the public hearing had opposed Uranium mining fearing health and environmental hazards.

However, the state government showed no signs to release the activists immediately especially in the wake of suspected KSU activists continued to torch government establishments in remote areas of the state and pelting petrol bombs at vehicles.

''We will continue to hunt the KSU activists and especially their leaders for breach of peace and tranquility in the state,'' a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, suspected KSU activists torched the state Public Work Department at Nongstoin on saturday night. Police said the technical room of the office was badly damaged in the incident. Many important files were also burnt.

UNI