Student leaders turned MLAs backtrack from earlier stand
SHILLONG: Student leaders and organisation heads turned politicians – Paul Lyngdoh (UDP), Jemino Mawthoh (UDP), Ardent Basaiawmoit (HSPDP) and Purno K Sangma (Congress) – who were part of the Working Group (Committee) headed by late TH Rangad, had then agreed to solutions other than ILP to address the issue of influx, as per revelations made by the report and recommendations submitted to the Government on February 10, 2001.
Lyngdoh, Mawthoh, Basaiawmoit and Sangma were then presidents of KSU, SSSS, FKJGP and GSU respectively.
Now, 12 years later, Lyngdoh, Mawthoh and Basaiawmoit, all MLAs, have changed their stand in demanding implementation of ILP in the State.
Earlier, following a similar demand from NGOs in late 1999 for implementation of ILP, a working group consisting of 15 members with then Home Minister late Rangad as Chairman and then Commissioner and Secretary, Political Department, GP Wahlang as Secretary, was formed.
The mandate of the Committee notified on December 3, 1999, was to examine, at length, the issues related to extension and application of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 in Meghalaya, influx of foreign nationals and the boundary problem with Assam.
As part of the exercise, the Government, in 2000, sent a study group involving representatives of various NGOs including KSU, GSU and JSU among others to Mizoram and Sikkim. The officials in Aizawl had informed the delegation of the difficulties they face while implementing ILP. While in Sikkim, the NGO delegation was told that instead of ILP, the Sikkim Government had implemented restricted area permit in certain areas since 1958.
Under general observations and recommendations, the TH Rangad-led Committee (working group) felt that “the Inner Line Permit may help to deter influx of outsiders/foreigners into the State to a certain extent. However, considering the fact that the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1873 is applicable only in some parts of the State and the techno-legal problems involved in seeking the extension of the regulation over the whole State and also its possible infringement on the development prospect of the State, the Committee is of the view that the problem may also be brought under control if the State Government favourably considers implementations of other recommendations of the Committee”.
According to the Committee, the effectiveness of ‘these recommendations may also be reviewed by the Government at the highest level from time to time’.
The Committee suggested a 10-point recommendation to tackle the issue of influx.
The 10 recommendations include introduction of identity cards, re-organization of Prevention of Infiltration of Foreigners (PIF) scheme, rectification of treaty of Peace and Friendship between India and Nepal made in 1950, further amendment of Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, revival of Garo Hills District (Residence Toll) Regulation, 1961, regulation of trading for non tribals by district councils, implementation of labour laws and Benami Transactions Prohibition Act,1980, de-scheduling of certain Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, regulations by district councils on inter-marriages between tribals and non tribals in relation to inheritance of property and other customary practices and the need to complete ground survey of the boundary line and setting up of boundary pillars along Assam-Meghalaya border.
The High Level Committee on Influx, notified in 2012 and headed by former Deputy Chief Minister Bindo Lanong, in its final discussion had advised the Government to revisit some of the recommendations of the Rangad Committee so that they can be implemented immediately.