SHILLONG, Dec 3: The recent visit of an Assam MLA to Shillong for urging the state government not to implement ILP has not impressed the political masters of Meghalaya.
At least two Cabinet ministers have called it an act of “interference”, and “irresponsible”.
Power Minister James PK Sangma on Thursday said that for any leader generalising things and stating that people are feeling very threatened and not very safe is not the right thing to do on issues of the state that may have repercussions.
“It is important that any legislator who comes to Meghalaya and makes a statement on the State must ascertain the facts and must see to it that whatever he says is based on ground realities,” said the NPP leader while reacting to the recent statement made by North Karimganj MLA, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha.
The North Karimganj MLA besides requesting the Meghalaya Government not to implement Inner Line Permit (ILP) and set aside the proposal for the greater interest of the Northeastern community, had also stressed on the need to maintain communal harmony between the local Khasis and Bengali community in Shillong.
“I think it would be very irresponsible on my part to go to any other states and make a statement without doing any research and really understanding things,” he reasoned.
Admitting that there are stray incidences, Sangma, however said, “It does not mean you generalise this and say that people are feeling very threatened and not very safe. That is not the right thing to do”.
Sangma said that he has a lot of respect for the MLA but one must understand that as a public representatives they have this huge responsibility on their shoulders and whatever words comes out from their mouth have a huge impact.
“We must weigh our words very carefully before we speak anything and this is something that we hope in the future,” he said.
He added that be it any political leader or any other leader one should always first ascertain the facts and should be aware of the repercussion that the words may carry and have to realize that one have to be responsible citizens.
Earlier, NPP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had attacked the Opposition Congress and questioned their stand on the demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the State.
The Deputy Chief Minister had said that if Purkayastha is from the Congress and has requested the chief minister through a memorandum not to introduce ILP in the state, the Congress needs to explain as it had unanimously passed the resolution in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly to urge the Centre to implement ILP in the state.
