Shillong, June 13: Members of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) staged a protest outside the Main Secretariat on Friday, pressing for the fulfilment of three long-pending demands — the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), the formation of Special Investigation Teams (SITs) in all districts, and the immediate enforcement of the Migrant Workers (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Chanting slogans for the immediate implementation of the ILP, the protesters coincidentally crossed paths with the convoy of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma as it passed by the protest site.
A verbal exchange occurred between CoMSO leaders and a Magistrate, who suggested shifting the protest to Malki Ground and pointed out that CoMSO did not received prior permission to protest outside the Secretariat.
CoMSO leader Donboklang Kharlyngdoh said the primary objective of holding the protest in front of the Secretariat was to express deep dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to address their demands.
Kharlyngdoh reminded that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution in 2019 urging the Centre to implement the ILP, yet no response has been received even after nearly six years.
He also said that he does see that authorities will grant permission to hold protest outside the Secretariat.
“We would not be able to send a strong message if we shift to Malki Ground,” he said.
CoMSO chairman Roy Kupar Synrem told the magistrate and district officials to allow the protest to continue until 4 PM.
However, a Deputy Superintendent of Police later arrived and warned the protesters to disperse within five minutes or face forcible eviction. To avoid confrontation, CoMSO leaders called off the protest peacefully.
Citing the recent murder of Raja Raghuvanshi by his wife and accomplices, Synrem questioned how non-residents could so easily enter the state, commit a crime, and escape.
“If ILP were in place, individuals with dubious intentions would think twice before entering Meghalaya. They would have to register their name, address, duration of stay, and departure plans,” he argued.
He said that main accused, Sonam, had entered the state without her husband and exited the state alone.
According to him, the police might have obtained vital leads to track Sonam if the state has ILP.
Meanwhile, Synrem also pointed to a recent ATM robbery at Mawkriah, allegedly committed by outsiders, to highlight the need for stricter entry regulations.
Criticising the government for inaction, he said no consultations have been held with stakeholders since the Union Home Ministry returned the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2020.
He described MRSSA, 2020 as a crucial law with provisions similar to ILP, essential for addressing illegal immigration and influx.
The CoMSO chairman further slammed the state government for failing to establish SITs to identify and deport illegal immigrants, despite the Centre directing all states and union territories to do so.
“Assam have already set up SITs and are actively working to detect and deport illegal immigrants from Bangladesh,” he noted.
He also expressed disappointment over the government’s failure to implement the Migrant Workers (Amendment) Bill, 2024.