By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 11: With the implementation of much-talked-about Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya still remaining a mirage, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Wednesday asked the state government as well as the MPs of the state to pursue the matter with the Centre more aggressively.
KSU president, Lambokstarwell Marngar said the union failed to understand why the Centre is buying time on the issue.
Back in December 2019, the state Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution to urge the Centre to implement ILP and later, the state government took up the matter with the Centre. However, the Centre has not made any commitment. The state government seems to be content with its assertion that the ball is now in the Centre’s court.
Stressing on ILP’s implementation, Marngar said it has been “witnessed” that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are trying to enter Meghalaya. He said ILP is the best mechanism to check influx.
Questioning the Centre for granting ILP to other states in the Northeast but not to Meghalaya, he said the Centre must listen to the voices of the people of the state.
Asked if the KSU is planning any fresh agitation, Marngar said the union is working out how to move forward on the matter.
Implemented so far in Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, ILP is an official travel document issued by Government of India to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.
It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside to obtain a permit for entering any protected state. The document is an effort by the government to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international borders.