Shillong, April 4: Stone pelting marked the rally taken out by the KSU to observe the Khasi National Awakening Day.
Stray incidents of stone pelting were reported in Laban Last stop, near Laban Police Station and Bishnupur localities during the rally.
However, a claim has emerged that a stone was pelted on the KSU activists resulting in retaliation.
According to a local resident , a stone was thrown from one of the buildings in the area, targeting the rally participants.
In reaction, some KSU activists picked up the same stone and threw it back in the direction it came from.
Some women from the locality condemned the stone-pelting incident, saying it could have provoked the activists and led to law-and-order issues.
“The KSU activists were walking when suddenly a stone came out from one of the buildings. Whoever did this should be condemned,” they said.
On April 4 every year, the KSU observes Khasi National Awakening Day.
Shops, business establishments, restaurants, and even medical shops remained closed as their owners were asked to do by some persons a day before thee event.
The rally stressed the need to safeguard the indigenous community’s cultural identity and rights.
The procession, which began at Bharat Scouts & Guides Laban, ended at Shillong Vidyalaya Secondary School.
Addressing the gathering, North East Student Organization (NESO) chairman and former KSU chief Samuel B Jyrwa highlighted the need to safeguard the Khasi identity and culture.
“We must remember that in 1829, Syiem Tirot Sing and his warriors fought against the British government, led by soldiers from other parts of India, and killed many of them. This day marks our declaration that the indigenous people will resist the influx of outsiders and protect our freedom and sovereignty over our land and soil,” he said.
“The constitution ( KSU) was adopted on April 4, 1993, and we have been honouring this day as a day of awakening, a day to safeguard our land,. We are part of India, with a population of 1.40 crore people. As a small community, we have 23-24 lakh people, and I want to tell you that we need to be vigilant from time to time, because we are a small community,” he said adding “The number of class XII students in Uttar Pradesh is more than our entire population. There are 29 lakh class XII students in Uttar Pradesh, while our population is only 24 lakh. How can we say that we are safe and don’t need to be vigilant? We need to be alert and proud of our identity as a small community. If we don’t protect our land and culture, we will face the same fate as Tripura,” he said.
Outgoing KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngar said, “We are Khasis by birth, and Indians by force. Let us not forget our roots and the sacrifices made by our ancestors.
Marngar reminded the struggles of Khasi leaders like Tirot Sing and Kiang Nangbah, who fought against British colonialism as he expressed concern over the influx of outsiders and the erosion of Khasi culture.
“We have been demanding Inner Line Permit (ILP) for years, but our voices are not being heard. It’s time for us to decide whether we will continue to be marginalized or take action to protect our rights,” he added.
Marngar wanted the youth to take responsibility for preserving their culture and traditions. “This land belongs to the 30 Syiems and 12 Dolois, it’s not for outsiders. We must safeguard our culture and traditions,” he said.
He responded to the criticism that KSU has been vocal only on certain issues.
“We will continue to fight for our rights, and no one can silence us. We are not here to entertain anyone; we are here to protect our people and our land.”
