Shillong: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) refuses to back down. Protesters will keep up their agitation until the government scraps the Shillong Ropeway Project. The committee remains fixed on its original goal to protect the U Lum Shyllong catchment areas.
General secretary Linda Marbaniang confirmed the group will meet South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai on Wednesday. He is the lone official who invited them to talk. The government has stayed quiet for five days. Meanwhile, several MLAs and MDCs visited the site to back VPP MLA Adelbert Nongrum.
Marbaniang expressed frustration with the lack of official response. "Several MLAs and MDCs have visited and extended their support to Adelbert Nongrum. It has been five days, but the government has not responded to our concerns," she said. The protesters argue the ropeway threatens natural springs and water sources, noting some have already dried up.
The JAC claims the public hearing process failed to address legitimate opposition. Elderly residents even joined the picket lines to voice their fears. The committee plans to consult members after the Wednesday meeting, but they insist on full project withdrawal.
Updated at 11th November 2026 at 2:15pm
Marbaniang made it clear that empty talk or government assurances will not break the stalemate. She insisted that total withdrawal of the project is the only outcome that will satisfy the public. The committee is specifically demanding that the state listen to the pleas of the women fighting to save the water sources.
Updated at 12th November 2026 at 9:47am
The protest is widening. The JAC has called for a statewide peace rally this Thursday, urging citizens across the Khasi and Jaintia Hills to join them. Demonstrators plan to gather at noon by the U Kiang Nangbah statue before marching to the Secretariat.
JAC President Deborah Marbaniang is calling for community-wide support, framing the fight as a matter of long-term survival rather than a localized squabble. The committee confirmed the protection of nine specific drinking-water sources remains the core of their ecological defense. They have also signaled a shift in their bottom line, stating they would accept the project being relocated elsewhere if it is not scrapped entirely.
Tensions are rising on the ground. The group has hit out at the seven village headmen of the Riat Laban Dorbar Pyllun, accusing them of siding with the MLA instead of the residents. Meanwhile, the Green Tech Foundation has thrown its weight behind the movement, threatening to surround the Secretariat until the government backs down.
Comments