Shillong, Dec 10: The Jaiñtia National Council (JNC), along with the residents of Daištong village and surrounding areas, organised a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office at Khliehriat, East Jaiñtia Hills, on Wednesday opposing the purported unlawful transfer of community land to a private cement enterprise.
Protesters held placards that said “Shree Cement Go Back” and “Daištong Land Not a Factory Land.”
Community leaders, representatives from the JNC, and village elders took to the stage to address the assembly, denouncing what they termed a breach of local land rights and traditional ownership. They reiterated their united stance that no private or industrial encroachment on ancestral land will be accepted without the informed and voluntary consent of the community.
JNC President Sambormi Lyngdoh cautioned that should the ongoing public hearing process fail to halt the alleged land acquisition, the community would escalate its protests. They also announced their plans to seek legal recourse, including filing a case with the High Court, to protect their ancestral rights.
