Shillong, March 26: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has moved Chief Secretary Dr Shakil P Ahmed on pending demands.
The demands are implementation of amendments to the Meghalaya Identification, Registration (Safety & Security) of Migrant Workers Act, 2020, reforms in the district selection committees, withdrawal of a directive asking school students to sing “Vande Mataram”, and eviction of illegal settlers from Mahadev Khola and Maxwelton Estate.
The five-point charter of demands was submitted to the chief secretary by the KSU
The union also warned of stern action if the government fails to address the issues.
“We strongly condemn the government’s inability to implement the Migrant Workers’ Act even after almost 2 years of passing the Bill. If there’s any further delay, we’ll have to resume the eviction drive of migrant workers again,” said KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah and assistant general secretary Reuben Najiar in the memorandum.
On the district selection committees, the KSU said the current results are flawed and highly irregular, filled with nepotism and corruption.
“If no changes are brought forward, we will take different forms of agitation in the capital and headquarters of all districts,” they said.
Opposing the mandatory singing of Vande Mataram in schools which highlight Hindu goddesses, the KSU said, “If the government continues to issue such directives, we’ll be compelled to take aggressive measures,” they added.
The union wanted the government to speed up the process of evicting illegal settlers from Mahadev Khola and Maxwelton Estate, and to address pending recruitment issues at NEIGRIHMS.
“We hope the government will take our demands seriously and take immediate action to address these long-pending issues,” the KSU leaders said.
