Shillong, Feb 28 : Three prominent NGOs here have threatened to launch a series of agitation programmes in protest against the decision of the education department to appoint “outside” lecturers in two city colleges.
The Khasi Students Union (KSU), Federation of Khasi Jaintia Garo People (FKJGP) and Synjuk Ki Seng Samla Shnong (SSSS) opposed the appointment of lecturers, Ratnadeep Roy at St Edmund’s College and Oinam Singh at St Anthony’s College, alleging violation of the state’s reservation policy.
Police today foiled the attempt by the three NGOs to stage a hunger strike in front of the secretariat.
Representatives of the NGOs, who assembled at the main secretariat this morning, were prevented by the police to hold the fast.
The NGOs thereafter attempted to stage the strike at the Telecom parking lot near the secretariat only to be disapproved by the district administration.
The third option of the NGOs was to stage the strike on the premises of the State Central Library. However, the police intervened and foiled their move again.
The NGO members said they were surprised over the stand of the district administration in not allowing them to hold a peaceful demonstration.
The East Khasi Hills district administration yesterday imposed Section 144 CrPC, prohibiting demonstrations within the 100-metre radius of the main secretariat building.
KSU president Samuel Jyrwa said as the NGOs were not allowed to hold the hunger strike, they have decided to announce a series of agitation programmes soon.
The representatives of the three NGOs had distributed pamphlets in government offices and colleges on Wednesday and Thursday as part of the awareness campaign against the decision of the education department to appoint the two lecturers.
The KSU said although there were qualified local candidates, the education department did not appoint them as lecturers in these colleges, which is against the state reservation policy.
The NGOs had earlier staged a public rally in the first week of February here urging the government to cancel the appointment of the lecturers.
Chief minister Donkupar Roy after a meeting with the education minister Manas Chaudhuri, government spokesman Paul Lyngdoh and the advocate-general G.S. Massar decided to entrust the matter to the law department for a final opinion.
After the law department submits the report, the state cabinet will meet to take a final decision on the matter.
However, the NGOs have termed the reference of the matter to the law department a tactic on the part of the state government to delay the process.