SHILLONG/MAWKYRWAT: The KSU has asked the headmen to be alert on influx and illegal immigrants.
The KSU South West Khasi Hills unit on Friday said that with the implementation of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), it has alerted the headmen to be more cautious and vigil as this would increase the number of illegal immigrants.
The union president Forwardman Nongrem, while speaking at the 10th anniversary of Kensimphlang village in Mawkyrwat said, ‘If thousands of Nepalese from faraway region can come and settle in Meghalaya due to the presence of the Indo-Nepal Treaty, there will be no problems for the Bangladeshis who are adjacent to us, to come and settle in our state.
Therefore, the Dorbar Shnong should be ready to deal with the problem and chase away the outsiders who come and settle within its jurisdiction.”
Nongrem also said that the union will continue to fight for the rights of the ‘Jaitbynriew’ and will always remain alert to deal with the problem of influx especially after the implementation of the CAA.
“As the ‘Jaitbynriew’ we should raise our voice louder to demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state, he added.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of South West Khasi Hills, Mawkyrwat, I. Laloo on Friday informed that a copy of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Rules, 2017 has been forwarded to all headmen within Mawkyrwat area since November 2017 for implementation as they are designated as the local authority within their jurisdiction.
Further Laloo informed that a letter was also sent to the KSU, South West Khasi Hills, Forwardman Nongrem to clarify on issues raised by the union recently.
To make people more aware about the rules and regulation of MRSS, meetings and awareness programmes were conducted from time to time with the District Task Force, South West Khasi Hills in collaboration with the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Ranikor Sub-Division along with other officials, headmen and village authorities.
Laloo informed that the anti-infiltration special squad of the office of the Superintendent of Police, South West Khasi Hills is regularly conducting anti-infiltration drives for checking suspected illegal migrant workers and illegal foreigners in whole of the district.
She also said that a joint inspection in respect of the district level team is also being conducted by the labour department and the Anti-Infiltration Special Squad of the office of SP of the district and Ranikor blocks and reports of the same have also been received.
She further said that as per report from the office of the Deputy Labour Commissioner, in charge South West Khasi Hills, Mawkyrwat, the Labour Department does not implement “the work permit” system but is implementing the Inter-state Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment & Condition of Service) Act, 1979 which is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to regulate the condition of service of inter-state labourers under Indian Labour law.
She said that the Act’s purpose is to protect workers whose services are requisitioned outside their native states in India and the labour department regularly checks and ensures that all migrant wokers employed in the state are legal as per provisions of the Act.
Laloo said that even as the district administration has undertaken the action in respect of the rules, the government instructions are awaited in the matter especially in respect of the ordinance to amend the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security, Rules.
Public rally to oppose CAA
A public rally to oppose CAA and demand ILP in the state was organised by the KSU, HNYF FKJGP and RBYF at Riangdo market on Friday. The rally was also joined by the bikers from (TULBA).
The general secretary of KSU central body, Donald V Thabah, said that major threat is from the Bangladeshis which shares border with Meghalaya.
‘Hindu population which is a minority in Bangladesh has a total strength of one crore fourty lakhs compared to our population of only 14 to 15 lakhs. If those Hindu Bangladeshis come and settle in Meghalaya, then our identity as an indigenous people will vanish’, he said.
He also said that the organisations demanded that laws with strong provisions should be implemented in the state to protect the indigenous community.
Kitboklang Nongphlang of the FKJGP said that they will not rest until their demands are met. He also sent a clear message to the government that they will not give up against the suppression from the Centre because all the four NGOs are against the laws from the Centre to suppress the indigenous people.