Editor,
The only solution to curb influx in Meghalaya is to introduce the Inner Line Permit (ILP). ILP is an official travel document issued by the Government of India to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected/restricted area for a limited period. It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those States to obtain permit for entering into the protected State. The document is an effort by the government to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international borders of India. This is a security measure and it is applicable for such states. Since Meghalaya is also on the international boundary with Bangladesh, ILP is a must. It is sad to see that when Meghalaya had attained fully fledged statehood, our past leaders had failed to understand the need to have the ILP in place at that time. However, who can blame them, since our achievement of receiving statehood at that time was at the behest of Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who was firm with her take on Bangladesh liberation and Meghalaya was the only state fit enough to rehabilitate the exodus of people from Bangladesh. Well. all said and done, now time has come that ILP be implemented in the state, since there are other factors which are contributing to the infiltration of illegal immigrants. A recent development is the Manipur Government’s decision to reintroduce ILP in the state of Manipur, What made the Government there to do so? It’s because they have realised that ‘It’s now or never’.
One may argue that from the tourism point of view, the ILP may decrease inflow of tourists into the state but the best example is Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh where tourist density flow annually is high even with the ILP in place. The other scenario may be NH.44 passing through the state, which supposedly does not hinder the objective at all. Once ILP comes into effect facilitation counters can be opened at the entry points to help tourists attain short term permits for their stay while visiting the state. Once the ILP comes into effect all those who travel into the state can do so for their respective purposes. This in turn discourages entry of illegal immigrants and unnecessary stay after the period of their permit. If efforts are not taken to introduce ILP, the present influx ratio will increase to a point when it will be difficult to address the situation later. The young generation who are the future of the state should understand that ILP is the only instrument to curb influx and that the government needs to thoroughly debate on the issue by taking into account stakeholders of the state. And as the four new districts had been created recently by the government to show its deference to the aspirations of people, we hope that our respected Chief Minister also takes the initiative to push forward the Bill for introduction of ILP in Meghalaya as a move to ensure trust and confidence in the minds of the citizens of the state.
Yours etc.,
Wankitbok Pohshna
Shillong -1
Why blame Pakistan?
Editor,
Kudos to The Shillong Times for its brilliant editorial “Pakistan the easy scapegoat”
( Aug 21, 2012). For arguments’ sake let’s “accept” that it was Pakistan, which was instrumental in creating far psychosis that led to the mass exodus of North-Easterners from the Southern and Western parts of India, through MMS-generated rumours! Now can the inventors of this “unique” theory exercise their “fertile” minds and clarify the reason as to why our Assamese, Khasi, Naga, Manipuri and Mizo brothers and sisters believed in such “rumours” and left for their home states overnight, though their democratic and constitutional rights over the whole country are second to none? Had Pakistan exercised such tactics against the Gujaratis of Mumbai or Marwaris and Biharis of Kolkata, would the said migrant communities run for their lives in droves to catch the first train heading towards Gujarat, Rajasthan or Bihar? Certainly not because the Gujaratis of Mumbai are well aware of their immense economic clout in the Western metropolis and Marwaris and Biharis are practically the owners and rulers of the city of Hindi-Urdu speakers named ‘Kalkatta’ who have also almost driven out the indigenous Bengalis from their own state capital. This explains the reason why the North-Easterners believed in such “rumours” and escaped from Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. The reason is because the so-called mainland India has not allowed them to feel at home. If one gets dubbed as an “alien” in his/her own country, made an object of ridicule by exploiting his/her physical features, language, culture, attire and food habits; gets called by all kinds of derogatory adjectives; physically abused, raped or killed in “enlightened” New Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune or Bangalore, he/she is bound to get affected by a fear syndrome. And because of this insecurity, North-Easterners frantically left for their states of origin. Thus, if at all the MMS-episode was indeed the brainchild of Pakistan, India cannot absolve itself from its abject failure of winning the confidence of the North-Easterners. Now will the “nationalists” sweep all ills of India under the carpet and put forward the theory that the physical, cultural and emotional tortures, taunts and abuses meted to the North-Easterners in the “modern” “progressive” cities of India are handiwork of pro-Pakistan elements only to tarnish the “liberal” image of India?
Instead of accusing Pakistan for all the ills plaguing India, the country should learn to clean up its own backyard and examine itself. Tumours can be treated or removed only by accepting that there has been an unnatural growth in the body and then getting it examined or operated upon by the physician. Perhaps the North-Easterners have to bear the maximum brunt of blatant racism because of their limited numerical strength and political clout at the Centre. But the fact remains that minority ethnic groups and migrants get an extremely raw deal in most Indian states. As a Bengali, born and brought up in Bihar and having lived in that state spanning three decades of my life, I am witness to how the Bengalis used to get treated as “third-grade” citizens in Bihar. Behind the growth and prosperity of Patna, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Ranchi, Dhanbad or Hazaribagh (the last three are presently in Jharkhand), the contribution of Bengalis is unmistakable. But today almost all Bengalis have left the said cities by selling their home or business due to the psychological, emotional, economic, cultural and physical atrocities on them. Since the tortures went on very silently ie without displaying any banners like that of Shiv Sainiks and continued for many decades, instead of a sudden bout of violence in a particular day or week, mass exodus of Bengalis from Bihar by trains did not happen thereby not gaining the attention it richly deserved.
Instead of zealously fluttering the tricolour, chanting “My India is Great”(that too in the tongue of cow-belt in the guise of national language) and engaging in the rhetoric of “We are One”, we should learn to appreciate that India is not the personal fiefdom of Hindi/Urdu speakers, South Indians, Hindus, Muslims, Brahmins or Yadavs only. India also is not the sole bastion of New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Gujarat, Bihar, Bhangra, Gabra or Idli only. India is also not of the “God” Sachin Tendulkar, Sushil Kumar, Viswanathan Anand, Lata Mangeshkar or Bollywood only. Garos, Santhals, Christians, Kokbarak, Konkani, Kalahandi, Nagaland, Bihu, M.C.Mary Kom, Ratan Thiyams are also an indispensable part of this nation. Since India is a multi-lingual multi-religious secular democratic country, no linguistic/religious/casteist group can claim special or exclusive rights on this land. North-Eastern part of India is not secondary or inferior to the rest of the country by any logic or yardstick. Still by which audacity can the latter describe themselves as “mainstream”, rendering the North-Easterners as “aliens”?
If India really wants to be a civilized, non-racial, tolerant and liberal land; then it should educate and enlighten itself and appreciate the virtues of equality and humanity.
Yours etc.,
Kajal Chatterjee
Kolkata – 114