Peace march' held to oppose Ordince, draft bill

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Sept 14: Thousands of people took part in the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) organised ‘peaceful march’ today even as they later refused to meet Cabinet Ministers other than the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma.

The groups led by HYC were protesting against the failure of the state government to revoke the ordince and also the formulation of a draft bill which will replace the ordince to empower headmen.

“We were invited to meet certain ministers but we refused as we wanted to meet only the chief minister since he only has the power to revoke the ordince,” HYC member Nickson Dohling told the gathering at the end of the peace march opposite BSNL office.

After the culmition of the peace march, HYC general secretary Robertjune Kharjahrin said that the HYC and the conglomerate of NGOs has resolved to demand the revocation of the ordince, oppose the draft bill formulated by the government to empower the Rangbah Shnongs and demand the resigtion of all the 60 MDCs of KHADC and JHADC, since the government has intruded into the jurisdiction of the district councils.

Earlier, in the day the NGOs took out the “peace march” from Motphran which passed through the main thoroughfare of the city like Police Bazar and filly culmited at the Parking Lot opposite the BSNL office.

The district administration took nothing to chances and the “peace march” saw heavy security cover. The protestors were seen carrying placard condemning the government for formulating a law to empower the headmen and intruding into the jurisdiction of the district councils.