Shillong: Hundreds of members of the Hynniewtrep National Youth Movement (HNYM) took to Shillong streets on Thursday against unemployment in the state and demanding job reservation in the private sector.
The protest began in front of the PWD (Road and Building) with participants carrying red flags and placards. The protest was carried out despite the imposition of Section 144 CrPC by the district administration which prohibits holding public gatherings within the administrative borders.
Speaking to EastMojo, HNYM president Louis Dohtdong said that at the same time, govt should reserve 80% of the jobs in the private sector. “We see here in Meghalaya there are several PSUs but there is nothing that is benefiting the local youths of the state. In Haryana, Mumbai Punjab and other states they have alloted 70 or 80% of job reservation in private sector so people there don’t face unemployment in their states,” said Dohtdong.
Asked if the government isn’t doing much even with the number of entrepreneurship programmes, the HNYM president said that entrepreneurship is for those who have money in their pockets or either those who have close ties with the government.
He also agreed that the recent development of a new militant outfit being formed is due to youths being unemployed leading them to take up arms.
The HNYM president criticised the police for how they had lathicharged a female protestors recently in Topcem Cement at Thangskai.
Dohtdong also informed that a meeting with the chief minister has been scheduled for September 4 to pressurise the government to heed to their demands.
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The protestors then marched towards the Meghalaya Secretariat to meet with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma but members of the youth body faced resistance from police and security personnel as they lined up to create a barricade not allowing the protestors to proceed further. Another gathering was witnessed in front of Mot U Kiang Nangbah Point near Civil Hospital.
However, leaders of the organisation agreed to cooperate with the police not march towards the Secretariat or either Keating Road but to take the route from Lum Survey-Umsohsuh-Mothphran and culminate at Jaiaw. They also urged the participants to not create any ruckus or destroy properties and even appealed to the members of the youth body to remove their face masks.
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