SHILLONG: For the first time, all the 60 legislators of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly were present at the one-day special session held on Thursday to discuss the resolution to implement Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.
The attendance in the Assembly in the past was rarely 100 per cent but this time, considering the gravity of the issue, both the ruling party and the opposition made sure that their MLAs were present in the House.
On Wednesday, FKJGP president Wellbirth Rani had said that the NGOs and the people would drag the truant MLAs out of their houses if they skipped the session.
Talking on the ILP issue, Congress MLA P T Sawkmie said bringing cheap labour from outside “is a dangerous trend” and there is a need to strengthen the borders. He also pointed out that the Sixth Schedule areas should be extended to other parts of the state and the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act should be implemented.
Congress’s Miani Shira echoed Sawkmie on the residents’ safety act saying ILP “is not enough”.
Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party said none of the political parties should take credit as “it is the demand of the people”.
BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai said that he openly opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill at a public rally on January 29 and had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister during the BJP National Council meeting on January 11. He requested the Centre to exempt the entire state from the Act and also to implement ILP.
Responding to attacks that he is from BJP, Shullai said, “If you practice well, you can play from any party.”
Independent MLA Lambor Malniang said there are problems relating to supplies of food, getting better education and access to electricity. He said that the CAA is akin to saving the neighbours children and letting the own children die.
Nationalist Congress Party’s Saleng Sangma called for a mechanism
to check illegal immigrants and said that CAA cannot be accepted.
Newly elected UDP MLA Balajiedkupar Synrem said that ILP is important and it is a necessity. He said that it is not about chasing outsiders but about who is not entering and staying in the state.
Others who spoke and supported the demand for implementation of ILP were People’s Democratic Front (PDF) MLA Jason Mawlong, Congress MLAs Lazarus Sangma, Winnerson Sangma and Kimfa Marbaniang, UDP MLA, Pius Marwein.
