M’laya Dy CM slams Akali Dal over army deployment request

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 14, 2021

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday slammed the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann for demanding deployment of the army at Them Iew Mawlong, where the Sweepers’ Colony is located. 

“Deployment of army for what, there is no war. Is there any battlefield here that we need to deploy an army…,” Tynsong told reporters. 

Mann, who recently deputed his emissary Gurjit Singh Jhampur to Shillong by traveling on a bike for five days from Punjab, sought the intervention of the Governor Satya Pal Malik into the issue and requested for deployment of army contingent in the vicinity of the Sweepers’ Colony. 

Tynsong, who also headed the High Level Committee (HLC), however maintained that it is the responsibility of the state government to take care of each and every citizen irrespective of tribal or non-tribal. 

He also said that as far as Iew Mawlong is concerned, the area is worse than a slum.

According to him, that is why the state government feels that taking into consideration the human lives and health of those people staying in Sweepers’ Colony, they need to be shifted and relocated to a proper place.

He further added that the particular place is also a market place and it cannot be converted into a residential area at all.

“On the basis of that, we from the High Level Committee had submitted a detailed report to the government where the government had already taken a decision that yes relocation has to take place from that area whoever stays over there need to shift to a proper place,” Tynsong said while asserting “We need to take care of them, we need to see that the place where they stay is totally safe and healthy where children can grow in a healthy environment.”

Urging all stakeholders to work together with the state government, the deputy chief minister said, “They should not think that the state government will just throw them out, they are all human beings, they are our brothers and sisters, so therefore leave it to the wisdom of the state government we will take care of them as much as possible.”

Refuting the allegation that injustice is being done against the settlers of Sweepers’ Colony, Tynsong said, “The state government is bound to take care of every community be it tribal or non tribal. We are here not to communalise or say that okay you are a Khasi, you are a Sikh or a different community means you cannot do this or we cannot do this – I think that is out of the question.”

The state government had recently taken possession of the land at Them Iew Mawlong and is in the process of relocating the Sweepers’ Colony. 

Tynsong informed that the government has entrusted the Urban Affairs department as well as Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) to do the needful.

“The SMB is asked to shift their temporary office from Bivar Road to another temporary building and once that is done, to repair the quarters and thereafter shift employees who are staying in Iew Mawlong to a proper place. 

Those employees of different departments, we have written asking them to shift their employees to their respective campuses or other places so that area since the government has taken possession of that plot as urban affairs has to start redeveloping that place,” he added. 

On the other hand, the deputy chief minister said that the door is open if they want to talk. 

“We are ready to talk…but to say that the government is harassing (the settlers) is totally wrong,” he maintained.

: That is their opinion “illegal” but from the government side, my opinion is it is legal so let the court decide.

You should not say in public we do have a platform go to the high court. 

If we violate any ruling order of the high court, we are subjected to contempt of court – therefore there is no point of talking or discussing this issue because they have their own opinion so let the court decide and interpret it. 

Talks : our door is always open. If you want to talk we are ready to talk. We welcome anybody including those coming from outside but to say that the government is harassing that is totally wrong.