The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has rejected the Meghalaya government’s verbal assurance of amending the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion & Facilitation Act, 2024 (MSIPF) in the winter session of the Assembly, reiterating its demand for the law’s complete withdrawal.

A government-convened meeting on Tuesday failed to address the KSU’s concerns, including keeping the legislation in abeyance. KSU general secretary Donald Thabah said they were not satisfied with the outcome and had conveyed to the government that they would not accept mere verbal assurances.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma had invited KSU leaders for talks after the student body staged a protest at Garrison Bridge, demanding the scrapping of the MSIPF and opposing the government’s push to introduce rail connectivity in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region.

The KSU has written to all 60 MLAs urging them to reject the MSIPF and will soon decide its next course of action.

The union has termed the act “draconian,” alleging it will benefit only a select few and work against the state’s tribal populace. It also claims the MSIPF contradicts the Meghalaya Land Transfer Regulation Act, 1971, which safeguards tribal land rights.

Protests intensified after amendments to the MSIPF Act were tabled in the Assembly on March 3. Of particular concern was the removal of Paragraph 34 of the land transfer law and the addition of a clause stating the MSIPF would not contradict the 1971 Act. The MSIPF allows for the creation of land banks to be leased to private investors, a provision the KSU fears will lead to large-scale land alienation.

“We fear that our people will lose their land, and without land, we will have no future,” a KSU leader said. The union also believes the act could reduce employment opportunities for locals.

The KSU further flagged concerns over railway expansion in Khasi-Jaintia Hills, demanding safeguards against an influx of outsiders. It has long advocated the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), a travel restriction to protect indigenous populations.

The Meghalaya Assembly had passed a resolution in December 2019 urging the Centre to introduce ILP under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873. However, the demand remains unfulfilled.

The KSU has warned of intensified protests if the government does not withdraw the act, threatening mass demonstrations across the state.