Shillong, November 6 : East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal on Friday appealed to elderly women protesting against the Shillong Ropeway project at Barik to return home for the night, assuring them that they could resume their demonstration the following day. The women, under the banner of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) opposing the Shillong Ropeway project, continued their sit-in protest until 7 pm, despite the permission granted by the district administration having expired at 4 pm.
Baranwal, who personally visited the protest site, said his primary concern was the well-being of the elderly protesters and that the administration was making efforts to persuade them to disperse peacefully. “It’s already 7 pm, they are elderly ladies. For their own benefit, they should disperse. So I came to request them as deputy commissioner. We are still talking with them, trying to make them understand our point of view,” he said. He assured the protesters that they would be allowed to continue their agitation the next day and stressed that the administration did not intend to prevent them from exercising their right to protest. “For their own sake we want them to go home and the demonstration can happen next day as well, it is not a problem,” Baranwal said.
However, he acknowledged that the protesters were unwilling to leave the site and wanted to continue their demonstration beyond the permitted hours. “As of now they are saying that they want to stay here for longer but the magistrate is here, police is here, the magistrate will be in continuous touch with them,” he added.
Asked whether the administration would take action against the protesters for violating the conditions of the permission, Baranwal said the matter would be examined but emphasised that the authorities preferred dialogue over confrontation. “The permission was given till 4 pm. If somebody is violating the conditions which are given in the permission we will have to examine what action can be taken but then these are elderly ladies we wanted to request them, so we are still in talk with them,” he said.
Regarding the protesters’ request to shift their demonstration to an indoor location, the Deputy Commissioner said the administration would have to examine the feasibility of such an arrangement. “We have to find out as they want to shift inside, we have to find out how to work about,” he said. The district administration continued its efforts to engage with the protesters, with magistrates and police personnel remaining at the site to monitor the situation and maintain communication with the demonstrators.
