SHILLONG: Extending support to the initiative taken by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) to set up its own influx check gate, a Garo Hills-based organisation, viz. Association for Democracy and Empowerment (ADE) asserted that it would take a similar step in the region.
In a statement issued here, ADE president Dalseng Bira Ch. Momin said the organisation would take similar measures of setting up a check-gate if the concerned authorities do not comply with their demand.
“ADE, along with other NGOs of the region, would be compelled to set up ‘Influx Check-Gates’ in various routes around Garo Hills if the government fails to fulfill their promise and protect the citizens”, he said.
He observed that the debate surrounding non-tribal migrants has always been a volatile one and the spectre of Bangladeshi migrants continues to haunt Meghalaya.
Momin said that ADE preferred the implementation of an ILP-like structure as prevalent in Arunachal Pradesh and rued that, after prolonged and arduous agitation taken by the NGOs, the previous state government promised the NGOs of Meghalaya that a comprehensive mechanism to check influx would be set up instead of granting the demand of ILP.
Expressing concern on nothing concrete been done yet on the ground, Momin said that even the marking of entry-exit points, creation of facilitation centres, deployment of checking authorities, has not been provided.
“Considering the mentioned facts, it has become an intense call of the time for a deep introspection into the matter and take immediate measures to avert influx problem,” the ADE president said.
