By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 4: Cabinet Minister and BJP legislator Alexander L Hek believes no Indian citizen should be harassed whenever provisions like the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) and Inner-Line Permit (ILP) are introduced in the state.
“If you introduce any mechanism like the MRSSA or ILP, make sure that no Indian citizen is harassed. Everyone should be allowed to live and make this world a better place,” he told reporters on Friday.
Hek said that the state BJP will support the MDA 2.0 government’s endeavour to implement either the ILP or the MRSSA in the state.
“We have to go with whatever the state decides,” he said.
The demand for introducing mechanisms such as the ILP or MRSSA to check infiltration was renewed after the murder of Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi, allegedly hatched by Sonam in Sohra on May 23.
Frustrated by the delay in the implementation of the ILP, some pressure groups have warned of “stringent action” if the special travel document is not made mandatory for Indian citizens to enter Meghalaya.
HITO moves Shah
Meanwhile, the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has submitted a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding the immediate extension of the ILP system to Meghalaya, citing a sharp rise in cross-border infiltration and emerging national security threats.
The HITO pointed to what it called credible intelligence reports of increased illegal entry along the India-Bangladesh border and the alleged establishment of a strategic ISI base in Bangladesh.
The organisation warned that Meghalaya’s vulnerability has increased, with infiltrators reportedly gaining access through bribes and using fake Aadhaar and voter ID cards to integrate into local populations and exploit government welfare schemes. The HITO stressed that these activities not only threaten the region’s demographic integrity but also risk enabling sleeper cells and destabilising peace in the state.
The group cited the Raghuvanshi murder involving outsiders from Madhya Pradesh as a grim reminder of the consequences of unregulated movement, and argued that such incidents could be prevented through a robust permit system.
Noting that the ILP system has been effectively implemented in other northeastern states under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act of 1873, the HITO maintained that extending it to Meghalaya is both a constitutional safeguard and a strategic imperative.
The organisation urged the Home Ministry to act without delay, in coordination with the state government and local traditional institutions, stating that the demand now goes beyond cultural protection and has become a matter of national interest.
Hek to adhere to party decision on Cabinet reshuffle
While the entire political class in Meghalaya remains tight-lipped about a possible Cabinet reshuffle, BJP leader and Cabinet Minister AL Hek has reiterated that he will abide by the party’s decision on the matter.
“The party’s decision is final for me, and I will abide by it,” Hek stated.
It may be mentioned that the MDA Government is soon completing two-and-a-half years in office, prompting speculation about a possible reshuffle within the Cabinet.
Most Cabinet ministers in the MDA government have denied any internal arrangement regarding a rotational sharing of Cabinet posts over the two-and-a-half-year term.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai is reportedly waiting for his turn to assume the ministerial post from Hek, based on an internal agreement the two had signed to share the position for two and a half years. However, the agreement was reportedly made without the consent of the party’s central leadership.
When asked about the existence of such an agreement, Hek advised journalists to seek clarity from the party leadership.