Shillong,July 7: After the Jaintia Students Union, the Khasi Students Union (KSU) has opposed the government’s move to bring a railway line to Khliehriat in East Jaintia Hills.
The KSU termed railway as a tool of massive influx.
The East Jaintia Hills district unit of the KSU submitted a memorandum to the district administration and asserted that effective anti-influx mechanism should be put in place by the Centre before starting railway.
The chief minister had said a study will be conducted for exploring the possibility of bringing the railway line to Khliehriat.
“The union has been advocating for stronger and strict laws for safeguarding our identity as a race. The union is of the view that unless a strong and effective mechanism is being enacted towards safeguarding the rights of our people the project for a railway line to our state is out of the question,” president of the unit Streamly N Suchen said.
“The union has taken a tough stand on this contentious issue since 1988 and would like to reiterate again that it does not welcome this project unless stringent laws are being put in place against the massive influx of people coming from outside the state and neighboring country like Bangladesh by the union government,” he said.
Suchen said the initiative was put to a halt in 2016 when the NFR commenced the project for the Tetelia-Byrnihat railway project after strong opposition from the union and other stakeholders.
“The union wishes to express its resentment once again against this project and will be clear on its stand against this unabated tool of massive influx towards the state as a whole,” he said.
