Shillong, November 12: Members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Against Shillong Peak Ropeway Project on Thursday stormed the Main Secretariat, clashing with police while demanding that the MDA-II Government led by the NPP scrap the proposed ropeway project at Lum Shyllong.
The JAC members began their march from their protest site near the statue of Woh Kiang Nangbah, close to Civil Hospital, Shillong, accompanied by police personnel.
Police had erected barricades along the road leading to the Main Secretariat to prevent the protesters from entering the premises.
However, upon reaching the Secretariat, the JAC members, comprising mostly women accompanied by some men and leaders of the Green Tech Foundation, raised slogans against the government and demanded the cancellation of the ropeway project.
Tensions escalated as the protesters pushed against the barricades, resulting in a scuffle with police personnel. The women protesters also threw mattresses towards the Secretariat gate in an attempt to occupy the area and stage a sit-in protest.
As the confrontation continued for several hours, the protesters eventually managed to reach the main entrance gate of the Secretariat.
A magistrate subsequently made an announcement through a loudspeaker, directing the women to vacate the area, stating that their gathering in front of the Secretariat was unlawful. The magistrate also referred to the seventh condition of the permission granted to JAC president Deborah Marbaniang, which prohibited stopping and holding sit-in demonstrations during the rally. “The time permitted was only two hours for the rally. Deborah Marbaniang had accepted these conditions,” the magistrate announced.
As the women refused to leave, the East Khasi Hills district administration arranged two buses to transport them back to their protest site near Civil Hospital. However, upon reaching the area, the protesters refused to get down from the buses.
Speaking to reporters from inside one of the buses, JAC president Deborah Marbaniang said, “We will go back to the Secretariat because they have not responded to our demands.” After some time, when the protesters finally got down from the buses, one woman reportedly felt unwell and was immediately shifted to Civil Hospital, Shillong, for medical treatment.
The JAC has been staging its protest since Friday last week, demanding that the state government withdraw the proposed Shillong Peak Ropeway Project at Lum Shyllong.
