Shillong: Protests against the Shillong Ropeway project are ballooning. Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) president Donbok Dkhar joined the fray on Monday, accusing the NPP-led government of prioritizing party coffers over public interest. The sit-in, now in its fourth day since starting on November 6, shows no sign of cooling down.
Dkhar claims the project serves only a few deep pockets. "The ropeway is not about creating jobs for our youth. It is about raising party funds and sustaining the interests of a handful of people who want to benefit personally," he said. He drew sharp comparisons to the 2021 gaming law that the state eventually scrapped after massive public pushback. He warned that this project could set a dangerous precedent for future, unwanted developments like uranium mining.
Support arrived from East Jaintia Hills. Women from Sutnga joined the picket line, citing their grim experience with local coke plants as proof of how industrial projects ruin water sources and forests. They emphasized the need to save the Lum Shyllong catchment area from similar degradation. The protest remains firm. The group vows to stay until the state scraps or moves the project.
Political pressure is mounting on Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. The Ka Lympung Ki Seng Kynthei (KLKSK), a coalition of city-based women's groups, sent a letter to the Chief Minister on Monday. They want direct talks with the Joint Action Committee (JAC). KLKSK vice-president Rimet Kharkongor urged the government to form a committee of experts to study the environmental risks before moving forward. Copies of this letter went to Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh and the leadership of the JAC.
Comments