SHILLONG: The call to implement Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state was revived at Students’ Field by thousands of people who attended the Dorbar Bah Ka Bri u Hynniewtrep organised by the Confederation of Hynniewtrep Social Organisations (CoHSO) on Thursday.
Speakers at the rally pressed for the implementation of ILP to protect the indigenous communities facing the threat of being overwhelmed by foreigners if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is passed.
Speaking at the rally, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) CEM HS Shylla said the people of the state should press for the implementation of ILP since the Centre is likely to go ahead and pass the CAB.
He minced no words when he criticised Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and UDP president Donkupar Roy, who is also the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker, for paying no heed to the demand of passing the KHADC bills.
Tweaking the initials — H S — of his name to call it ‘High Speed’ Shylla, he said, “We will give one week’s time to the state government to endorse the ILP bill passed by the KHADC,” drawing a loud roar of approval from the gathering.
He called upon the people to oppose the state government and said he would collect Rs 5 lakh to hold another public meeting at Polo Ground after the one-week ultimatum expires.
The charge of holding the public meeting has been given to CoHSO.
Slamming the vote-bank politics of the BJP, he said the Hindu wave at the Centre has been revived after the Lok Sabha passed the CAB.
Criticising the Meghalaya Resident, Safety and Security Act, 2016, Shylla said the bill means — “Welcome to Meghalaya.”
Chairman of CoHSO and president of Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), Robertjune Kharjahrin, said ILP is not an issue to be raised only by the NGOs, but it is one of the community as a whole.
“We will keep demanding ILP. It is the only solution to solve the problem of influx in the state,” Kharjahrin said.
With the MDA refusing to implement ILP and the Centre not paying heed to the opposition to the CAB, the NGO leader threatened to intensify the agitation.
“We will defend our state and not allow it to become a Hindutva,” he said.
MP candidate from the NGOs
Shylla called upon the NGOs of CoHSO to put up an MP candidate favoured by them. He added they should also reach out to the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) to discuss the matter.
According to him, the MP candidate should be an individual who is vocal about ILP. He told the crowd, “Do not trust political parties anymore. No vote should be given to the parties who are in government if they do not pass the bill.”
Approach the UN
UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh said the indigenous communities of the state should approach the United Nations Organization if the Centre does not pay heed to the opposition of the communities.
“If India does not listen to us, there is the UN that will listen to us. We will knock at the doors of UN because it is our right,” he said
“We were never Indian citizens until we signed the Instrument of Accession,” he added.
Lyngdoh also bemoaned the division in the Khasi-Jaintia community, but said the identity of being sons and daughters of Hynniewtrep will unite them.
Raising concerns that the demand for ILP has been pushed aside, he exhorted the people to remain steadfast in their demand.
Stating that ILP will unite the communities, he said the people should not allow Muslim and Hindu immigrants in the state.
With the Centre maintaining that it is granting citizenship to religious minorities, he said the people of the state are also minorities in terms of ethnic, linguistic and indigenous religion.