TURA:
A call for a protest road blockade for five nights, beginning August 29, made by the Garo Students Union (GSU) could soon be heading for a legal showdown given that the Meghalaya High Court has banned bandhs and shutdowns that impact public life.
The central executive committee of the GSU, headed by president Zikku Balgra N Marak, announced three-day picketing of the offices of the power corporation MeECL across Garo Hills, followed up by a night road blockade of the region for five nights, on Friday.
In a letter to the authorities in Garo Hills, the student union stated that picketing would be from August 24 to August 26 and the blockade from August 29 to September 3.
The student body blames the government for failing to step in and provide the necessary manpower and infrastructure to turn the corporation around. The student body has accused the government of apathy towards the corporation leading to frequent power outages and accidents that have resulted in human casualties.
But the public announcement of a shutdown during the night is pushing the student leadership into a direct legal confrontation for violation of a standing order.
It was almost ten years ago that the high court passed a judgement prohibiting bandhs and other blockades that cause disruption to public life. Since then protest groups have been navigating through the legal dangers by renaming their hartals with different names, including the most frequent one “Non-Cooperation Movement” to escape the court’s glare. It remains to be seen what response the court will give in the face of the recent announcement.