SHILLONG, Feb 18: Meghalaya’s concerns pertaining to the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act have been addressed as most areas of the state come under the Sixth Schedule, which exempts them from the law, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Sunday.
In an interview to PTI, Sangma stressed on the requirement for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime in Meghalaya to restrict the entry of “outsiders”.
Expressing concern over the “spillover effect” in Meghalaya if CAA is implemented in other states, he said, “We have just requested the Government of India if we can still have the ILP.”
“There are enough provisions in the CAA right now to protect us in one way, apart from the cutoff date that they have put and apart from the fact that 99.9 per cent is exempted… All these points are there. But we have still raised our concerns with the Government of India, and we have also asked for the extension of the ILP or any other mechanism that will help us address those concerns,” he said.
“Majority of Meghalaya is a scheduled area, except a few square metres in Shillong…a small area which we call European Ward. So our concerns have been addressed,” Sangma said, while adding, “We have requested the Government of India for exemption of the non-scheduled area.”
He also mentioned a resolution passed by the state Assembly in December 2019 to extend the ILP to the state.
“Our concerns are that anybody from outside the country is a non-Indian, and illegal immigration is illegal immigration. Citizens coming from other countries would be in a way foreigners coming into our country,” he added.
Asked about Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh’s recent statement on deporting those who have come to the state after 1961, Sangma said it is for the state and the Union governments to decide. (PTI)
