GUWAHATI: Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has thrown its weight behind an NGO’s protest against alleged indifference to its demand for inner line permit (ILP) implementation by the Meghalaya government.
Members of the NGO, Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO), had on Tuesday marched through streets and hoisted black flags at various places in the state, including Shillong.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Wednesday, Thomas Passah, vice president, central executive committee, KHNAM, said the party wholeheartedly supports the NGO’s demand for ILP as only a strong mechanism like it could prevent influx.
“We have always accorded top priority to ILP. Such a mechanism is the only way to check influx of illegal migrants into Meghalaya and becomes all the more important with the BJP-led central government claiming that it would table the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) if it came to power again,” Passah said.
The BJP election manifesto clearly states CAB as a priority agenda, even as indigenous groups in the Northeast have raised its voices against the legislation for the past few months.
KHNAM, has been raising the demand for implementation of ILP to check influx ever since it was formed as a movement for change in 2002.
For its part, the Meghalaya government has identified 41 locations in the state to set up check gates at entry/exit points where people entering/exiting the state would have to submit documents to prove their credentials.
However, KHNAM warned that only setting up entry and exit points without putting in place a proper mechanism such as ILP would not serve the objective to curb influx.
“These entry-exit points are basically facilitation centres for tourists with various amenities. In fact, when the demand for ILP was at its peak, the then state government led by Mukul Sangma had taken the initiative to set up entry/exit points as a supplementary measure. However, the entry/exit points have to be set up on the basis of a mechanism or policy,” he said.
The KHNAM leader further said such a mechanism could be established with limited infrastructure.
The party has also been urging others including NGOs and citizens to unite against CAB.
Meghalaya shares a long border with Bangladesh, and according to KHNAM, such a legislation will adversely affect the demography of the state besides endangering the existence of indigenous communities.
