Shillong, Nov 25: The movement for introduction of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya is inching towards a flash point with the Khasi Students Union (KSU) asking the central government to come clear on whether or not they want to concede it to the people of the state.
A day after Chief Minister Conrad Sangma informed that the Union Home Minister had not given any assurance in this regard, KSU president Lambokstar Marngar went on an offensive hinting that a new phase of agitation was on the anvil to bring further pressure on the centre.
“Our union is very clear. Let the central government commit clearly about the implementation of ILP in the state. Don’t hide yourself in the name of examining it,” Marngnar said peevishly.
“The Government of India is still still examining the resolution is quite surprising. How long will the centre take to examine it? ILP is not a new law new regulation already implemented in Arunachal Pradesh in Nagaland, Mizoram and recently in Manipur so what is the problem for the central government to implement ILP in Meghalaya,” Marngar questioned.
Expressing frustration over Centre’s dilly dallying tactics, he remarked that it is not good to play with the sentiments of the people of the state.
“They are trying to buy time on this issue let them come clear and straight to the point,” he added.
He also informed that the KSU would sit next week to finalise the details of fresh round of agitation on the matter. To a query whether the KSU was ready to discuss the issue with the state government again, the KSU president said that the state government has already passed the resolution in the Legislative Assembly on December 19 last year and that the KSU just wants to urge the state government to continue to pursue this matter with the central government.
“The Deputy Chief Minister had said that they had gone to Delhi to talk about it and we expect the central government also to respect that the sixty MLAs have already unanimously taken a decision to pass the resolution in Meghalaya,” he said.
He further said that if the central government tries to buy time and play games it will a clear message that the central government does not recognize the indigenous community of the state.
“Since we require the mechanism to control and check the influx in Meghalaya, the central government should also understand that the ILP issue is a long pending demand of the people of the state and it is not only in 2020 but since 1979 that we are demanding its implementation,” he added.
Talking about the Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) which is seen as another layer of insulation from influx, the KSU president said, “MRSSA is already an Act since 2016 and the important thing is to exercise this act in the field and not just in the papers”.
At this point in time “What is more important is to speed up erecting the exit and entry point in the state of Meghalaya,” he added.