By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Jaiaw MDC Adelbert Nongrum (KHNAM) has slammed Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma for sitting over the report of the High Level Committee (HLC) on Influx which had recommended the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the State.
“This attitude of the Chief Minister only shows that he is not at all concerned about the growing influx problem which is fast changing the demography of the tribal population in the State,” Nongrum said while participating on the discussion on the KHADC budget on Friday.
“We can see how the local indigenous population is slowly and gradually being outnumbered by people from outside. This phenomenon is prevailing across the State including in Shillong city. If this unhealthy trend is not checked, I fear that there will be a situation where we will become minority in our own State,” the MDC said, adding that as a representative of a Constitutional body (KHADC) which is concerned with the protection and preservation of the interest of the local indigenous population, he would not remain silent.
“I would not allow the Chief Minister to play with an issue which is concerned with the very existence of the local indigenous population,” Nongrum said.
“If states like Mizoram and Nagaland can implement the ILP, I don’t any problem to implementing the same in Meghalaya since it is a mechanism to check the entry of illegal immigrants in the State,” he said.
“The Chief Minister has always maintained that the Government has thought of other mechanisms more effective than the ILP, but so far he has not revealed the mechanism which he intends to introduce to check the problem of influx,” Nongrum said.
The MDC also urged KHADC CEM Pynshngaiñ N Syiem to pursue the matter with the State Government and demand immediate implementation of the ILP for the overall interest of the indigenous population.
“I would like the CEM to get the report of the HLC from the Government to inform the people about the various recommendations of the Committee to check the influx problem,” he added.
