Without anti-influx mechanisms, bringing railway line to Khliehriat is out of the question: KSU to Govt

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 7, 2023

The Khasi Students Union (KSU) on Friday expressed strong opposition against the government’s move to bring a railway line to Khliehriat in East Jaintia Hills District citing that it is a “tool of massive influx”.

In a memorandum submitted to the district administration, the Union’s East Jaintia Hills District Unit has maintained a tough stand that they will not welcome the railway project unless effective anti-influx mechanisms are put in place by the Government of India.

This came a day after the chief minister Conrad K Sangma had announced the government’s decision to conduct a study for exploring the possibility of bringing the railway line to Khliehriat, the district headquarter of East Jaintia Hills.

“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 in the memorandum.

“The union has taken a tough stand on this contentious issue since the year 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 added.

Suchen said that the project was put to a halt in the year 2016 when the NFR commenced this 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 further stated.