Khasi Students’ Association Cachar protests against the proposed Borail and Bhubon sanctuaries, demands withdrawal as it affects the livelihood of 1.5 lakh tribals

The Khasi Students’ Association registered their opposition to the proposed Barak Bhubon Wildlife Sanctuary in its Annual General Conference on Saturday. The meeting was held yesterday in Khashiya Punjee in Krishnapur. They are of the say that this wildlife sanctuary will ruin the livelihoods of the thousands of tribal settlers there and will result in their eviction from their homes. The stage of the conference on Saturday strongly opposed these projects and attracted the government’s attention. The association has also warned of larger protests and dharnas if these projects are pursued further.

The Association which organized the annual conference was attended by a huge section of Khasi and Jaintia citizens of the valley. The conference was presided over by the chief guest Paul Lyndho, the former minister and president of the Khasi Students’ Association. The program started with the hoisting of the flag of the association and welcome addresses by the dignitaries. The address of various speakers present during the conference presented their concerns and stated why the sanction and declaration of a wildlife sanctuary in these areas can harm the tribal and locals of these places.

Speaking to the media, the President of the Khasi-Jaintia Welfare Organisation Labingwell Mukhiya said, “The theme behind today’s conference is the opposition of these two wildlife sanctuaries, the Barak Bhubon Sanctuary and Borail Wildlife Sanctuary. It is not just the tribals who will be affected but there are other plain dwellers as well who will be affected by this and the government must not turn blind eye to this. Our people have been residing in these helmets since the time of our king and now the government can’t just evict us from our land. That is my only demand to the government to withdraw the proposal of these projects and have sympathy on us”.

Wanbor Podang, the General Secretary of the Association said, “If our demands are not fulfilled we will raise our voice and launch democratic protests. If these wildlife sanctuaries are sanctioned almost 150 villages will come under it and more than one lakh fifty thousand lives will be affected by this. Our main problem is that the sanctuaries will take away the source of livelihood of many who live in such areas which is equivalent to killing us”. At the end of the conference yesterday, the new body of the association was formed and new members were indicted into the association.