Pressure groups to mobilize mass public support
SHILLONG: Attempting to put additional pressure on the State Government to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya, a pressure group of NGOs has decided to hold a series of public meetings in the district headquarters of Khasi and Jaintia Hills to mobilize mass support to effectively curb the problem of influx and restrict the entry of illegal immigrants.
“We are going to hold public meetings to mobilize support and also to enlighten the people on the need to implement the ILP to safeguard and protect the interest of the local indigenous people,” FKJGP president Joe Marwein told reporters after a meeting of the NGOs here on Friday.
Marwein informed that the public meetings will be held at Nongpoh on July 18, followed by Mawkyrwat on July 20, Khliehriat on July 22, Nongstoin on July 24 and Jowai on July 29. The last meeting would be held in Shillong, the date for which would be decided later.
Making it clear that the NGOs were not against development, Marwein said their main concern was the growing influx. The FKJGP president asserted that the NGOs were open to the idea of a ‘modified ILP’ with some tweaking to the original law.
“We can have these modifications to ensure that the mechanism for checking of influx does not hamper the growth and development of the State,” Marwein said.
Marwein also took a dig at Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma for not sticking to his commitment of looking into the recommendations of the High Level Committee (HLC) on influx.
“We have waited long enough but the Chief Minister is yet to invite us for discussion on the matter,” Marwein said, while adding that the NGOs would not allow the recommendations of the HLC to go waste.
The pressure groups including the Khasi Students’ Union, Federation of Khasi Jaintia Garo People, Hynniewtrep National Youth Front, Civil Society Women’s Organization, All Jaintia Youth Welfare Organization, Jaintia Youth Federation, Jaintia Students’ Union and others have been demanding the implementation of the ILP as recommended by the High Level Committee on Influx which was constituted by Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on September 4, 2012 and was headed by the then Deputy Chief Minister Bindo M Lanong.