Friday, March 29, 2024
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Pressure groups resume agitation

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SHILLONG/NONGPOH/NONGSTOIN: Pressure groups on Tuesday protested against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) while demanding implementation of the Inner Liner Permit (ILP) in the state.
The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) resumed its agitation against the delay in implementation of ILP and to oppose CAA with a sit-in demonstration on the premises of the State Central Library in the state capital.
Members of CoMSO were also joined by some members of the public with placards and banners demanding immediate implementation of ILP.
The sit-in demonstration from 2 pm to 5 pm will continue till Saturday at the same venue.
The CoMSO decided to resume the agitation after a meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in New Delhi last week failed to make any headway in the ILP issue.
CoMSO chairman Robertjune Kharjarin said that the sit-in demonstration is to remind the Centre about the aspirations of the people of the state as it so far has not given any clarity on the matter. He also said that though the state Assembly has passed a resolution for ILP, the government as well as the MLAs should not take the matter lightly.
“They need to be more aggressive and they should not sit idle,” he said even as he added that their agitation would continue. Meanwhile, in Nongstoin, four NGOs— Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), Khasi Students Union (KSU), Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) and Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF) — held a rally at Rambrai market to oppose the CAA.The rally was called by the FKJGP Rambrai Area Unit and was attended by Central body leaders of the FKJGP, KSU, HNYF and RBYF. The youth organisations took out a march from St. John Bosco playground up to Rambrai market culminating in a public meeting there.While addressing the meeting, Dundee Khongsit, general secretary of FKJGP Central Body said that CAA is a silent war that suppresses the indigenous people.
He urged the public not to be quiet and to be vocal to fight against it before it’s too late.Bipul Thnagkhiew, president of RBYF Central Body, said that the Centre is allowing outsiders from other countries to settle in India but had failed to deliver on its promises to its own citizens. “There are some politicians who tried to mislead the public by saying that if we implement ILP in the state, we will lose all developmental schemes but this is just propaganda of the coward politicians who try to fool us for their own interests,” he said. KSU Central body Publicity Secretary Rapborlang Nongrum said that the BJP-led NDA government is trying to fulfill its dream to make India a Hindu state.
“This is the time to wake up and fight. From now on, the fight will be between the NGOs and the Centre and the state government if they fail to implement ILP in the state and exempt it from CAA”, said FKJGP president Wellbert Rani.
Another public meeting was held in Umden of Ri Bhoi District, where the organisations demanded the state government pass a resolution against the CAA.
KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngar said that the CAA will empower the illegal migrants to overshadow the minority tribal people.
Marngar said that it is high time that people from all walks of life come together and stand united in the fight against CAA and also for the implementation of ILP.Sending a strong message to the government, Marngar said, “You can threaten us hundred times but you cannot take away our fighting spirit. We live once and die once, but before our time ends, we should do something for the betterment of our future generations.”The leader also said that they will never allow the draconian law like CAA to be implemented in Meghalaya at any cost stating that the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, and the BJP was implementing CAA for their own political benefits.
He also said that influx has always been the main issue of the Union. Many chief ministers have come and gone but they are not concerned about this issue affecting the tribals. Instead, they are more focussed on their personal benefits and election which is very unfortunate.

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