SHILLONG : The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) on Tuesday demanded the immediate eviction of alleged illegal settlers in Lakroh, removal of non-citizens from electoral rolls, and urgent implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) after four local residents were assaulted in Hawai Sutnga.
JSU Education Secretary Bocheru Mi Pohsnem said a joint fact-finding team from the central body and Syndai Unit visited Lakroh on March 9 and discovered that 95% of the village is occupied by non-tribals holding temporary stay certificates that were converted into permanent structures.
“Our tolerance has been weaponised… We refuse to become refugees in our own state,” Pohsnem warned. “If the government fails to protect our land, we will launch massive, state-wide democratic agitation.”
The union outlined seven key demands, including:
Immediate arrest of all attackers
Cancellation of fraudulent PMAY houses and job cards
Eviction drives in Lakroh and invalidation of illegal NOCs
Removal of non-citizens from EPIC/Aadhaar rolls
Sealing of an illegal Mandir defying a 2024 Dalloi/SDO stop order
Aggressive MRSSA checks and ILP enforcement
Completion of border fencing stalled since 2025
SI Rymbai of Muktapur police outpost informed the JSU delegation that 4–5 key suspects have been identified and others are being pursued.
Pohsnem added, “Identifying them is not enough. We demand the police arrest all involved and ensure they face the strictest legal action. The state must guarantee the safety of our locals.”
The JSU also criticized unauthorized construction in Lakroh. Despite a 2024 stop order issued by the Dalloi and SDO of Amlarem, the illegal Mandir was completed, which Pohsnem called “a blatant mockery of local administration and customary laws.”
JSU called for a high-level inquiry, revocation of fraudulent job cards and PMAY housing allotments, and strict enforcement of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA). It emphasized that ILP implementation is essential for survival and urged the central and state governments to complete border fencing along the Indo-Bangla border immediately.