SHILLONG, Sep 20: The Meghalaya BJP has done it again. In 2018, just ahead of the Assembly elections, the party had promised to lift the ban on coal mining within six months of coming to power. On Tuesday, the party has once again made a big announcement of implementation the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya before the 2023 Assembly elections.
“It may happen. Let us wait as the matter is under examination and the Centre has to study the pros and cons,” State BJP president Ernest Mawrie said on Tuesday.
Asked to confirm the ILP implementation date, Mawrie said: “We can’t say now. Another five months are left so let us see”.
Mawrie explained that the matter was under active consideration of the Home Ministry. “The matter is under MHA and they will see if the mechanism (ILP) will benefit the people,” he said, adding that the implementation of ILP is a priority for the party and it has been continuously raising the issue whenever any central leaders visit the state.
The demand for implementation of the Inner Line Permit in Meghalaya under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act of 1873 has been hanging fire for over four decades but with the 2023 Assembly election drawing closer, the issue has resurfaced once again.
The Meghalaya Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution during a special session on December 19, 2019 urging the Centre to implement ILP in the state. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and supported by all members of the House cutting across party lines.
HYC wants HNLC to keep ILP on peace agenda
The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Tuesday suggested that the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) should include the demand for implementation of ILP as one of their agenda in the ongoing peace talks with the Centre and the state government.
HYC president Robert June Kharjahrin suggested that the HNLC can incorporate the demand for implementation of ILP as had been done by militant outfits of Mizoram and Nagaland during peace talks with the Centre.
“The HNLC has been supporting the demand for implementation of ILP. We would like to appeal them to incorporate this issue as one of the agenda of the peace talks,” Kharjahrin said, expressing hope that the Home Ministry might consider the demand if the outfit was ready to take it up.