NEWDELHI: Despite the KSU’s demand for ILP in Meghalaya, the Shillong MP Vincent Pala came out in favour of exempting the whole state from the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act by including remaining part of Shillong under Sixth Schedule.
In a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, Pala said that the CAA, though passed in Parliament, is against the will and aspirations of the people of the North East.
Their opposition is being expressed through numerous protests in the region including in Meghalaya, he said.
Incidentally, Cabinet Minister and the lone representative of BJP in the ruling MDA government, AL Hek has also demanded inclusion of the remaining three per cent of area under Sixth Schedule and exempt the whole state from the CAA.
In a letter to the Union Home Minister and architect of the bill, Amit Shah, Hek said exempting Meghalaya from the Act will be a “huge blessing” for the tribal population of the hill state.
Justifying his demand, Pala said that in the case of Meghalaya, the exemption from the CAA needs inclusion of miniscule parts of Shillong under Sixth Schedule.
Quoting a Supreme Court order of 1975, the Shillong MP said even the small parts of Shillong known as Bara Bazar under Mawkhar are tribal areas and ceded to the government for municipal administration only.
This order assumes significance in the context of the jurisdiction of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Courts over the areas or localities in Shillong which are primarily tribal areas but have been ceded or included within the territory of the Shillong Municipal Board for the purpose of municipal administration, Pala said.
“In the light of this and the ongoing law and order breakdown in the region, I request you to urgently extend the exemption from the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 to all regions of the state of Meghalaya which is also essential for the sustenance of the citizens of the state”, the MP said.
In fact, all the three MPs from the state- Agatha Sangma and Wansuk Syiem besides Pala had gone on record for exempting whole of Meghalaya from the CAA by way of inclusion of the remaining small parts of Shillong under Sixth Schedule.
Hek, who was part of the high level delegation led by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, had handed over his letter to the home minister on December 10 when he met Shah separately.
