In a escalating wave of local opposition, members of the Jaintia National Council (JNC) and the Jaintia Students Union (JSU), alongside residents of Daistong village, staged a fierce protest at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in East Jaintia Hills on Wednesday, May 20.
The protestors are demanding the immediate cancellation of an upcoming public hearing scheduled for May 22, which was organized by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board to discuss the proposed limestone mining project by Shree Cement Limited at Lumsyrman, located within the Daistong
area.
The demonstration took a chaotic turn when the agitated crowd suddenly attempted to storm the premises of the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
This led to a tense standoff and physical scuffles between the security forces on duty and the leaders of the pressure groups.
As the situation grew volatile, the protestors shouted slogans condemning the state government, accusing it of turning a deaf ear and maintaining a stoic silence regarding the long-standing grievances and demands of the local citizens who oppose the mining project.