Spl court to try ILP stir cases
Shillong: The State government will set up a special court exclusively to try cases of violation of the Supreme Court order banning ‘bandhs’ by protesting pro- Inner Line Permit activists.
This was announced by Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma here on Wednesday.
“Meghalaya High Court recently approved the setting up of a special court to try cases related to violation of the SC ruling banning bandh,” Dr Sangma said during an interaction with a group of journalists at his residence.
According to him, all anti-government incidents in the past one month, which had pro-ILP activists behind them, would be tried by the special court.
Deciding to take the pro-ILP activists head on, Dr Sangma said, “Sponsors of bandhs and agitations will have to pay compensation for all losses incurred (by the government in the course of their protests).
Several government offices and vehicles were damaged after the stalemate between the pro-ILP activists and the State Government began on September 4.
Elaborating on the matter, Dr Sangma said, as per the court rulings, sponsors of shutdowns will have to compensate for the losses incurred during such shutdowns.
This clearly indicates the government’s intent to deal with such activism with a strong hand and in line with the court’s rulings.
“We must all be accountable for our actions, whether a politician, bureaucrat or any citizen,” Dr. Sangma said adding, “It is time for all of us to show respect for the rule of law and it is the duty of the government to ensure that the law is enforced in letter and spirit.”
District administrations across the State have been told to assess the losses, which have been recorded for the past one month. These would then be incorporated in a petition to be submitted before the special court.
For the last one month the pro-ILP protagonists have been holding the Government and citizens to ransom by a series of night road blockades, office picketing and bandhs after talks between the Government and those demanding ILP to counter influx, broke down.
Several cases of arson were reported from different parts of the State but particularly from Shillong city and Ri Bhoi districts. So far about 50 people have been arrested in connection with these cases.
Earlier speaking at an official function organised to distribute mobile tablets among Class XII students, Dr Sangma spoke his heart out against such agitations which are affecting none but the common man.
Dr Sangma said, “We need to open up and create an enabling environment in the State.”
Without naming any NGOs, he said people were being carried away by myths and should instead be realistic in their approach.
Referring to the ongoing impasse over the issue of influx, he said that the great leaders of India were far-sighted and therefore made provisions to protect the ‘microscopic’ population in the Constitution by way of Sixth Schedule.
Dr Sangma said that under the Sixth Schedule, land of a tribal cannot be alienated even as he said that at present the indigenous community possess the ownership of much land in Shillong which earlier belonged to the non-indigenous people.
“Even my residence at Nongrim Hills belonged to an Assamese but I bought the land from him and it now belongs to me,” he said.
He asserted that the Government is now coming up with the Tenancy legislation to regulate people who come from outside the State.
“Allow the Government to focus on few works,” he said while reiterating that the State needed to create an enabling environment for all.