TURA: Various pressure groups from the Garo Hills region staged a protest at the entry point from Assam into Garo Hills, on the main national highway, demanding imposition of the Inner Line Permit and checking against influx into the tribal region on Thursday morning.
Over two dozen members belonging to the Garo Students Union central executive committee along with the FKJGP, Association for Democracy and Empowerment (ADE), A’chik Youth Welfare Organisation (AYWO) and Federation for A’chik Freedom (FAF) arrived at the Berubari entry point to Garo Hills, situated at Bajengdoba in North Garo Hills carrying banners and shouting slogans demanding imposition of the Inner Line Permit in the region.
The protestors are seeking the establishment of a Facilitation Centre under the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act-2016 and want adequate set up to stop illegal entry into the Garo Hills.
“We want entry and exit points in Garo Hills. We demand ILP for protection of A’chik Asong and we will not rest in our struggle,” shouted the protestors who carried banners and flags.
“They wanted an anti-influx check gate. We reasoned with them that already checking into the region has been going on for many months due to the Covid pandemic. Checks are being done continuously by anti-infiltration branch of police and health teams. Only with proper documents and verification are people allowed in,” said North Garo Hills police superintendent Abraham T Sangma.
The protest groups also witnessed firsthand the checking being conducted by the surveillance and anti-infil teams at the entry point into Garo Hills before returning to Tura in the afternoon. There has been a long clamour by social and student groups of the state for a mechanism to be put in place to stop influx into the region over fears the indigenous tribal population could one day be reduced to a minority in their own land.