By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 30: Community and Rural Development Minister Hamletson Dohling on Thursday said the pressure groups should start agitating all over again for the Centre to listen to demands such as the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.
Dohling is a former general secretary of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU).
Speaking at a programme organised by the KSU to mark the 159th death anniversary of Khasi (Pnar) freedom fighter U Kiang Nangbah, the minister said the demand for a comprehensive mechanism to deal with the influx issue has continued for too long.
“Unfortunately, the Centre has turned a blind eye to this demand,” Dohling said.
He recalled several occasions when the local youths were beaten up while protesting the non-implementation of the ILP under the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation Act, 1873. “The sacrifice of these youths is yet to materialise,” he said.
Thanking the voters of Mylliem constituency for electing his as their MLA, Dohling said he has been able to raise the ILP issue in the Cabinet led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.
“The Assembly had passed a resolution favouring the ILP. The entire Cabinet along with the leaders of the pressure groups had even gone to Delhi to impress upon the Centre on the need to implement the ILP in the state,” he said.
“As the government, we will continue to raise the ILP issue with the Centre,” Dohling said, adding the state government has been trying to resolve the long-pending boundary dispute with Assam.
“I am confident that we will soon be able to resolve six of the 12 areas of differences taken up in the first phase,” he said.
The minister also underlined the present government’s efforts to settle the Them Iew Mawlong issue that the KSU has been agitating on since 1996.
“Precious lives were lost during the agitation on the Them Metor (Harijan Colony) issue. But none of the governments in the past has dared to attempt to relocate the residents from the area,” he said.
Dohling admitted that the High-Level Committee (HLC) took some time to submit its recommendations on the relocation of the Harijan Colony residents. “Questions were being raised about the government’s intention but time was taken to go deep into the matter, especially on the legal aspects,” he said.
“I am happy that the Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the HLC to relocate the people from the area. I would urge the people to have some patience till the government completes the process,” Dohling said.
He urged the youth to follow in the footsteps of U Kiang Nangbah who sacrificed his life for his motherland.