Shillong: Members of the Hyniewtrep National Youth Movement (HNYM) in Meghalaya took to the streets on Thursday to protest against the rising unemployment in the state.
Initially, the agitating HNYM, armed with placards saying “we don’t need festivals, we need jobs” and “Meghalaya is a state where jobs are plenty for non-tribals but not for tribals, had planned to stage their protest in front of the State Secretariat, but were prevented from marching forward by the magistrates and police personnel since the District Magistrate of East Khasi Hills invoked Section 144 within and around the premises of Secretariat Hill on Wednesday night.
However, the HNYM held a peaceful demonstration at Kiang Nangbah Statue, opposite Civil Hospital, Shillong.
Addressing his supporters, an angry HNYM chief, Louis Dohtdong, hit out at the Conrad Sangma-led government for its failure to curb the growing unemployment, even as he said that the national highways within the state resemble a market place for liquor stores.
‘Why do so many liquor stores dot the NH within the state, resembling a marketplace for liquor? Where is the employment policy for youth? Dohtdong asked, seeking the government’s immediate intervention.
The Excise Department earns over Rs 250 crore annually from the sale of liquor. The figure is rising steadily, as is the number of liquor stores across the state.
Although the sale of liquor along the National Highway is banned across the country for a specific distance from the National Highway and State Highways, the order was modified to exempt Meghalaya and Sikkim to allow the opening of such stores near the highways.
So the liquor stores and bars were allowed to be opened, but they were disallowed from displaying their wine in the form of signage and advertisements. The stores had to remain hidden.
Meanwhile, Dohtdong further said that there are over 800 liquor stores in the Khasi Hills-Ri-Bhoi region, but there are only 27 in the entire Garo Hills region, while seeking answers from the government on this aspect.
He accused the state government of conspiring against the people of the Khasi-Ri-Bhoi region and urged the state government to take immediate corrective steps.
