SHILLONG, Dec 18: Exactly a year ago on this day, the sixty legislators of the state gathered for an extraordinary one-day session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and unanimously passed a resolution to urge the Government of India to implement Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. However, no progress has been achieved on this front despite the demand amplifying with each passing day.
“Everybody is getting restless now. The civil society groups are also upset. The best thing would be to speed up the process to ensure that the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security Act is made functional at the earliest,” Opposition Congress MLA, Ampareen Lyngdoh, said today.
Chairman of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizations (CoMSO), Robertjune Kharjahrin, said, “We are disappointed. It is one year now but the Union Government is still mum. This day (December 19) is supposed to be a day of celebration but it has turned into a day of disappointment for all the indigenous people”.
“We condemn this step-motherly treatment by the Centre. If they can give protection to other indigenous people of North East India, why are they depriving us (of the ILP)? Are we not Indians?” he questioned.
The CoMSO chairman made it clear that they will intensify their democratic agitation to ensure that the Centre accedes to the long-pending demand and honours the aspirations of the people.
Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) president, Wellbirth Rani, said, “The BJP government at the Centre has failed to honour and give due respect to the resolution passed by our legislators and so December 19 should be marked as the darkest day in the history of Meghalaya”.
“If the government does not take our demand seriously, the prominent pressure groups will be compelled to take law into their own hands,” warned FKJGP chief organiser, Kitboklang Nongphlang.
