Pressure groups hope to meet PM

SHILLONG, Dec 16: Pressure groups in the state hope to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Meghalaya for raising issues such as the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and the Meghalaya-Assam border issue.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Shillong on Sunday to attend a programme celebrating the golden jubilee of the North Eastern Council and address a public rally at Polo. He is also scheduled to attend a programme at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong.
“We have asked the state government to facilitate the discussions on ILP, interstate border and the language issue,” Khasi Students’ Union president Lambokstar Marngar said on Friday.
He, however, said they did not receive any confirmation or communication from the state government till Friday evening.
Apart from the KSU, the pressure groups are HNYF, RBYF, GSU, JSU, FKJGP, AYWO and ADE.
Marngar said the issues are genuine and have been pending for a long time. An interaction with Modi would give them an idea about the Centre’s stand on these issues, he added.
There has been no clear-cut statement from the Centre on the implementation of the ILP in the state.
The Meghalaya Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution during a special session on December 19, 2019, urging the Centre to implement the ILP in the state under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and supported by all members of the House cutting across party lines.
Almost three years down the line, the Centre has not said anything beyond the “we are examining the matter” although the ministers, MLAs and members of pressure groups met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on several occasions.