Tensions escalated in Shillong on Saturday as the ongoing protest against the privatisation of Lumpongdeng Island took a grim turn, with the Green-Tech Foundation (GTF) warning of fatal consequences if the government fails to act.
The organisation, which has been staging an agitation at Malki Ground, issued a stark ultimatum, saying the standoff could end in "two dead bodies" unless a controversial 60-year lease for a proposed luxury resort is revoked.
The warning came even as the health condition of GTF chairman H Bansiewdor Nonglang deteriorated sharply.
Nonglang, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the past 10 days, was shifted from Civil Hospital to Woodland Hospital on Saturday evening.
Despite being hospitalised, he has reportedly continued to refuse food.
With Nonglang unable to continue at the protest site, GTF secretary general Ritre Lyngdoh has taken over the hunger strike.
Speaking to reporters at Malki Ground, Lyngdoh accused the state government of remaining "adamant" and unresponsive despite the worsening situation.
"We intend to send a very strong message to the authorities," Lyngdoh said, adding, "If Lumpongdeng is not returned, two ambulances carrying two bodies may leave from Malki Ground."
At the centre of the dispute is the government's decision to grant a 60-year lease to a private firm for the development of a luxury resort and spa on Lumpongdeng Island, located within the Umiam landscape.
The GTF argues that the island is a public asset and that leasing it out for decades effectively deprives local communities of their rights over the land.
Even as the crisis deepens, the state government has not issued any formal response.
Meanwhile, the GTF has made it clear that the hunger strike at Malki Ground will continue, regardless of the health risks, intensifying pressure on the administration amid rising public concern over the commercial use of natural resources.