Shillong: The Khasi Students’ Union is staging a series of public meetings across Khasi and Jaintia Hills from August 10 to 14. They refuse to cancel their August 11 gathering in Khliehriat. This defiance comes despite the East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner denying permission.
General secretary Reuben Najiar said the campaign starts at Mawkyrwat on August 10. Subsequent meetings hit Khliehriat and Mawryngkneng on August 11, Umsning and Mairang on August 12, Sohra and Jowai on August 13, and Nongstoin on August 14. If the government fails to act by August 17, the union warned of intensified agitation.
The Khliehriat meeting targets the U Kiang Nangbah statue near the Deputy Commissioner’s office. It protests the July 31 public hearing regarding the Shree Cement limestone mining project. The KSU claims officials manipulated that hearing to silence dissent. They called the process a “totalitarian” manner of handling public opposition. Consequently, they demand the removal of the Deputy Commissioner, the Superintendent of Police, other senior officers, and officials from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board.
The administration cited a May 20, 2026, order under Section 163 of the BNSS to ban the assembly. The union fought back. They argue the order expired because Section 163(4) limits such prohibitions to two months. The union insists the meeting stays on schedule.
Their broader platform includes five demands: full enforcement of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act with 18 entry points, stricter migrant worker registration, and local verification by Dorbar Shnongs. They also want a review of nursing recruitment at NEIGRIHMS to fix the 80:20 gender ratio and shift exams inside the state. Finally, the KSU wants an end to personal interviews for Grade B, C, and D government jobs to force transparency in recruitment boards.
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