Fast unto death activists arrested

Shillong, Oct 26: P Nongshlong and his aides were arrested by the police for trying to  resume their fast-unto-death to protest over the failure of the Meghalaya
government to solve the inter-state boundary row with Assam.

Police arrested the two for violating a government order and resuming the fast.

A resident of Rambrai village in West Khasi hills district, Nongshlong and eight of his supporters resumed their fast-unto-death at the premises of East Khasi hills deputy commissioner’s office when he was picked up by the police Friday afternoon.

Justifying Nongshlong arrest, East Khasi hills SP M Kharkhrang said, “Nongshlong had violated Section 144 CrPC imposed by the district administration and he will be prosecuted as per law.’ He informed the  magistrate (DC) will be filing an FIR in this matter.

These youths hails from the same district –West Khasi hills- as the four youths who were killed in a firing by Assam police during a clash at the Langpih border in 2010. Langpih has been in the news for many years as the area is under dispute between Meghalaya and Assam as both the states are claiming that it falls under its jurisdiction.

Nongshlong and his friends had reschedule their fast unto death venue from West Khasi hills district headquarter to Shillong after they were denied permission to carry out their protest by the West Khasi hills district administration on July 17.

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Nongshlong said that he and his friends were “compelled” to stage the fast unto death as the state government has done nothing to end the crisis at the inter-state border. He also pointed out various reasons for undertaking the fast. The reasons he mentioned were the refusal of Assam government to maintain status quo on Langpih, setting of toll gates by Assam police and forest  officials in Block I and Block II areas, the electrification of villages falling under Meghalaya and the inclusion of border villagers in the Assam electoral.

Nongshlong had earlier called off his fast-unto-death protest at the Nongstoin Civil Hospital where he was admitted after getting assurances from the government that the grievances will be take up. He had also sent a letter through the district administrator with a set of demands on the boundary issue.- By Our Reporter

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