Editor,
I echo the sentiments of fellow brethren over the need to protect the interest of us the tribals. I also agree that certain laws, rules and regulations must be put in place in order to check the inflow of illegal immigrants into our land. However, the one thing that is unclear is the mandatory registration of outsiders/tourists for entering the state. Granted that strict laws and rules must be put in place for anybody who wishes to reside in any of our localities but for this, the headmen of different localities, especially those that fall out of the jurisdiction of the Municipality Board, have already chalked out rules within their localities prohibiting outsiders i.e. non-tribals from residing there. The fact that government officials belonging to the Centre, state and districts are exempted from the purview of the Act is indeed a welcoming clause as government employees like bank officials, IT officials, etc are normally transferred after a period of three to four years. Hence any threat or fear from these people does not arise. After all they are not here to stay permanently. The real challenge comes when people like manual labourers come here to work without proper and authentic documents and quite snugly fitting into the fold of the tribals settling here permanently. It is for cases like these that the government must be more vigilant about. Hence the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security (MRSS) Act!
Coming to the main objective of the write-up, the Residents’ Act will severely affect the tourism Industry in the state. In complete agreement with Benjamin Lyngdoh in his article, “Residents’ Act a Death Knell for Tourism” (ST Nov 15, 2019), one must start by saying that the MRSS Act must not be clubbed with affairs that concerns the tourists. Let the Act be strictly for those who wish to seek residence within the state for a long period of time. Yes, for this stringent laws can be framed in ways that will really check influx. Just as for labourers there are laws that they and their employees need to abide by, similarly let there be an entirely different set of rules and guidelines for tourists like maintaining the cleanliness of the places they visit, etc.
At present, tourism in our state is an upcoming, booming, progressive and sought after sector. Therefore the state government must tap many more avenues and potentials to further boost and strengthen local people especially the youths to invest in this industry. By putting forth mandatory registration especially for people from neighbouring states like Assam will certainly decrease the inflow of tourists which will result in the decline in the inflow of revenue into the state exchequer. The clause that those who stay for more than twenty- four hours in the state will have to register themselves will have a direct impact on tourism. Who would like to go through the hassle of registration for such a short stay as twenty-four hours or far that matter a day or even during the weekends? Added to this is the fact that tourist are liable to be stopped and their papers checked and perused at any moment in time. This will surely deter tourists from coming into our state. What also comes to mind is the truth that many of the people of the state go to Guwahati for medical treatment due to a lack of proper health care in the state. Should the Assam government also impose the same mandatory registration on outsiders who wish to enter their state, would this not create a lot of hassle and difficulty for ailing patients who may require medical assistance at short notice?
Therefore, one strongly feels that the MRSS Act will definitely have a grave impact on the tourism prospects of our state. It will also hinder us from showcasing the beauty of our land and people to the outside world. Can more deliberations, discussions, deep and wise thinking be engaged in before the ordinance comes into force in the next Assembly session? Let us not be too hasty but wise and rational.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
US ratifies Israel’s settlement
Editor,
US Secretary Mike Pompeo’s statement on Monday that his country no longer believes the Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal has drawn tremendous praise from Israelis and condemnation from Palestinians. The US has come to this conclusion as the previous opinion that such structures were inconsistent with international law has not helped the peace process in the Middle East.
Reacting to the US decision, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, “The US adopted an important policy that rights a historical wrong when the Trump administration clearly rejected the false claim that Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria are inherently illegal under the international law.” It may be pertinent to note that with the new US decision, the Trump administration is reversing the Obama administration’s approach towards Israeli settlements.
Surely for Israel the decision is a thing of joy and a shot in the arm of its efforts to be at peace with its neighboring countries. Israeli settlements are civilian communities inhabited by Israeli citizens built on lands occupied by Israel in the 1967 six-day war. Currently, Israeli settlements exist in the West Bank occupied by Palestinian. There are other settlements too in the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights and in the Gaza Strip. Historically speaking, these areas of Israeli settlements were once possessed by the Israeli communities and later they scattered all over the world due to frequent wars on them by its enemies. So, when the US announces now these Israeli settlements are no longer illegal, it would mean that Israel’s stand and demands in respect of these settlements are vindicated.
Needlessly, it is still a wonder that Israel, a small country surrounded by hostile Muslim countries fares well like a king while the enemies hold them with utmost awe and reverence.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan,
Via email