By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 14: The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre continues to be indifferent to resolutions, petitions, meetings, and reminders for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya.
More than five years ago, the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly had passed a resolution urging the Centre to implement the ILP in the state.
The ILP, a temporary travel document for Indians visiting frontier states in the Northeast, is currently applicable in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland.
The National People’s Party-led MDA government in the state has come under attack from the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) for the ILP delay.
“The delay makes it evident that the state government is not taking the influx issue as seriously as it should,” HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem said.
The council slammed the state government for not paying heed to the suggestion of taking an all-party or all-MLA delegation to New Delhi to meet the Home Minister Amit Shah on the ILP.
“All we know is that the Centre is examining the matter. We fail to understand why the ILP is not being implemented in the state, although the Assembly unanimously passed the resolution for its early implementation,” HYC said.
Asking the Centre to address the pressing concerns of the influx into the state, he said that the state government must take up the ILP issue more aggressively with New Delhi.
The demand for ILP in Meghalaya has gained momentum since the Centre implemented the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act in 2019.
While the Centre has remained mum on the demand for years now, several pressure groups have upped the demand for the implementation of the original Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security Act.
The Hynniewtrep A’chik National Movement (HANM) has yet again reiterated its long-standing demands for the implementation of ILP in Meghalaya or any strong measures to protect the state’s boundaries.
The renewed call came during the election of the new office bearers of the HANM central executive committee held on Monday.
The organisation also reaffirmed its commitment to continue engaging with the central government to ensure the inclusion of the Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Such recognition, HANM believes, will play a crucial role in preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous communities of Meghalaya.
In addition to language and border concerns, HANM urged the state government to take concrete steps to resolve the decades-old interstate border dispute with Assam, which continues to negatively affect the lives and safety of residents living in the border areas.
HANM founding president, Lamphrang Kharbani was re-elected as the president of the CEC.
Other elected members include Anthony K Nanak and Moonevershine Dhar as vice presidents, Defoster Rynjah as general secretary, Bawan Nongsiej as assistant general secretary, and Lewin Syiemsad as finance secretary, among others.
On the occasion, HANM also announced the formation of three new units: the forest and environment cell, the tourism cell, and the medical cell. Members of these new wings will be officially inducted during the organisation’s 17th anniversary celebration scheduled on July 23.