Shillong, Jan 10: The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) has strongly criticised the recent incident in West Garo Hills district, describing it as evidence of a serious failure of governance and law enforcement in the state’s plain belt areas. The organisation has urged the Meghalaya government to take immediate and decisive action against illegal settlers and unlawful stone quarrying, warning that continued inaction could further destabilise the region.
In a statement issued on January 10, CoMSO said the incident should not be viewed as a standalone law-and-order problem but as the cumulative result of years of unchecked illegal settlement, widespread unauthorised quarrying and what it termed administrative apathy or complicity. The organisation alleged that repeated alerts raised by civil society groups were ignored, enabling vested interests to function freely while indigenous communities were increasingly exposed to insecurity and marginalisation.
The organisation demanded that all individuals involved in the incident be swiftly identified, arrested and prosecuted, asserting that no political or bureaucratic protection should be allowed to obstruct justice. It said mere assurances or routine inquiries would no longer suffice, given the gravity of the situation and its long-term implications for the state.
CoMSO also called for the immediate eviction of all illegal settlers in the affected areas, stressing that the process must be carried out strictly in accordance with the law and without delay. In addition, it sought a complete shutdown of illegal stone quarries operating in violation of land, mining and environmental regulations, followed by criminal proceedings against quarry owners, financiers and any officials allegedly facilitating such activities.
Warning that unchecked illegal settlement and unlawful extraction are reshaping the demographic, social and security landscape of Meghalaya, the organisation described the situation as an existential threat to indigenous communities rather than a routine administrative or environmental challenge. It cautioned that public frustration is growing and that failure to act decisively would further erode trust in state institutions while emboldening illegal operators.
The statement, issued by CoMSO chairman R.K. Synrem, urged the government to make a clear choice between upholding the rule of law and allowing what he described as a “rule of convenience,” asserting that there could be no middle ground in addressing the crisis.
