Shillong, July 6 (PTI): Meghalaya is slowly limping back to normality after 19 members of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) who were held for protesting against uranium mining, were released on bail yesterday.
The KSU had organised a series of agitation, including picketing in front of offices, bandhs and night road blockades to protest the proposed uranium mining by the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) in Kylleng Pyndeng Sohiong at Mawthabah in West Khasi Hills district.
The agitation had crippled life in East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi districts. Around 150 women were held for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC while trying to force their way into the state secretariat to press for release of the KSU activists.
Five of the 17 arrested KSU members from East Khasi Hills district got bail yesterday. They were booked under Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act (MPDA).
Fourteen other KSU members, arrested under various sections of IPC, were also released on bail yesterday.
Two other KSU members from West Khasi Hills district are expected to be released soon.
The KSU also opposed the public hearing on the proposed uranium mining project in West Khasi Hills district. The public hearing was called by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board on June 12 at Nongbah Jynrin in Mawthabah village of West Khasi Hills district.
In 1984, the atomic mineral division of department of atomic energy conducted excavation and assessed the uranium deposits in Domiasiat and Mawthabah in West Khasi Hills district and in Dawki area near the Indo-Bangladesh border.
Though initially there was no controversy, in 1992 the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), a coalition partner in the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, along with the KSU, organised a series of agitations opposing uranium mining in the state.
Chief executive member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council H.S. Shylla vehemently opposed the agitations.
The Centre plans to use the uranium from Mawthabah to boost the country’s nuclear capacity up to 20,000 MW by 2020.
