SHILLONG: The president of Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Lambok Marngar has rejected the idea of bringing an ordinance to amend the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security Act and preferred implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) instead.
He was speaking at the 41st anniversary of the KSU on Wednesday at Lachumiere which was attended by leaders of various units and circles of the Union. Former leaders of the Union were also present.
Later, speaking to reporters, he expressed surprise that the 13 pro-ILP groups were not kept in the loop about the changes to be made in the Residents’ Safety and Security Act.
It may be mentioned that the government will bring an ordinance after the Lok Sabha polls.
Expressing surprise at the sudden move of the government, he said, “I don’t understand what does the government wants. If it feels that the Act is not proper, then it should immediately implement ILP.”
Marngar asserted the union was not informed of the provisions in the amendment since the 13 pro-ILP groups were sidelined by the government who should have called them for discussions if there was any lacuna in the Act.
Stating that the Residents’ Act was conceived by the 13 pro- ILP groups during the heights of ILP tension, he asserted the 13 pro-ILP groups should be called if the state government feels there are some changes to be done.
“We have not said that there is no loophole in the Act. We will rethink about this very attitude of the government,” he said.
Maintaining that the comprehensive mechanism will never replace the demand for ILP, he said the demand to implement ILP is still alive.
“We have been demanding for entry/exit points, but this very Act is still stuck in the Secretariat and no implementation of the Act is in sight,” he said.
He observed that Meghalaya does not have any restrictions for outsiders while entering the state unlike in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland, which makes the state more vulnerable to influx.
With the state of Meghalaya devoid of a system to check influx, he said the state would be affected when the final updated the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would be out in neighbouring Assam.
Marngar said the North East Students’ Organization, to which KSU is alaffiliated, has sent a letter to the Home Ministry to implement ILP in the state.
On the other hand, speaking at the same gathering, Marngar expressed concern over delayed payment of salary to the teachers.
“Teachers are the backbone of the society. If it (salary) wasn’t for teachers, there would not be for chief ministers and ministers. The problem of teachers should be addressed immediately,” he said.
He also raised the contentious issue of border areas wherein he said the local indigenous people were being targeted.