Ropeway row: JAC to meet Sanbor Shullai, says protest goes on

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) opposing the Shillong ropeway project has agreed to sit down for talks with South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai on Wednesday, November 11, but has made it clear that its protest will not end until the state government drops the project altogether.

The JAC, formally the Joint Action Committee against the Shillong Ropeway Project and for the Protection of U Lum Shyllong Catchment Areas, announced its position on Tuesday as its sit-in entered a fifth day, The Shillong Times reported.

Why the JAC agreed to talks

Committee general secretary Linda Marbaniang said Shullai was the only elected representative who had invited the protesters for a discussion, and that was why the group decided to attend.

She said the government had not responded to the agitation in five days, even though several MLAs and members of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council had visited the protest site to back VPP MLA Adelbert Nongrum, who has been supporting the protesters.

Marbaniang stressed that dialogue or verbal assurances would not be enough. The committee's demand, she said, remains what it has been from the start: the project must be withdrawn.

Catchment and springs concern

The JAC's main objection is environmental. Marbaniang said building the ropeway could damage the U Lum Shyllong (Shillong Peak) catchment, especially natural springs and water sources that local residents depend on. She claimed some springs in the area had already dried up, though this has not been independently assessed.

She also questioned the public hearing held for the project, alleging it did not give opponents a meaningful chance to place their objections on record, and noted that elderly residents with health problems had joined the protest. "The government must listen to the pleas of the women," she said.

The committee will consult its members after Wednesday's meeting before deciding its next steps.

Government's stand

The Meghalaya government has so far stood by the project. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh have both defended the ropeway as an important tourism project, and Lyngdoh has said it cannot be withdrawn. The JAC has earlier warned it would seek Lyngdoh's resignation over the issue.

There was no fresh response from the government to the JAC's latest statement at the time of writing.