Editor,
The Inner Line Permit (ILP) is not just a policy it is a shield, a protective boundary created during colonial times to safeguard indigenous communities from unchecked outside interference. Originally introduced by the British under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873, the ILP was meant to preserve the identity, culture, and land of tribal populations in the Northeast. It exists in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and parts of Manipur. And once yes, once it was granted to the Khasi-Jaintia Hills too.
Historically, Meghalaya, particularly the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, was governed under special provisions that functioned similarly to the ILP. These protections recognized our uniqueness our matrilineal society, our customs, and our sacred bond with the land. But over time, this shield was weakened, diluted, and eventually removed, even as the threat of demographic invasion grew stronger. In the wake of growing migration and economic expansion in the 21st century, the people of Meghalaya have repeatedly demanded the re-implementation of the ILP. The desire is not born out of hatred, but out of a need to preserve our heritage, secure our future, and protect our land from being swallowed by the outside world.
Yet here we are, in 2025, still asking: Where is the ILP?
The truth is painful. While the public shouts and rallies, the government hesitates, delays, and distracts. Promises are made before elections. Committees are formed. Files are passed from office to office. But is there real political will, or is the ILP just another tool in the game of power?
We must ask the hard questions:
· Is the government truly fighting for the ILP at the national level, or only pretending to care?
· Are leaders more interested in economic partnerships with non-tribal business lobbies than in protecting the indigenous population?
· Is the state benefiting from this open-door policy at the cost of its sons and daughters?
The danger is clear. If we do not draw the line now, we risk becoming a minority in our own homeland. Our identity will be reduced to folklore. Our language, customs, and sacred lands will be commodities sold to the highest bidder.
Are we playing politics with the soul of Meghalaya?
If ILP is not implemented with urgency and sincerity, then yes we are gambling with our future, and the cost will be irreversible. This is not just a policy fight. This is a fight for survival. A fight to remind every authority local and national that Meghalaya belongs to its people, and no political game can be allowed to rewrite that truth.
2025 is not just another year in the pages of time it is a loud alarm bell for every Khasi who still believes in the sanctity of our land, our culture, our future. The truth is clear, yet many choose comfort over courage: Meghalaya is under threat not from war, but from slow, systematic erasure. The unchecked and rising influx of non-Khasis into our sacred hills is no longer a concern of tomorrow; it is a crisis of today. Look around the markets of our towns no longer echo with our language. Lands once held by our ancestors are now in the names of outsiders. Our youth wander without jobs, while non-locals open shops, dominate trades, and control contracts. Our culture is being diluted, our traditions mocked or forgotten, and our identity once proud and distinct is being chipped away, brick by brick.
2025 has seen an alarming rise in illegal settlements, voter manipulation, and job occupations by people who have no ancestral ties to this land. Under the guise of “development” and “progress,” we are witnessing silent colonization. Let’s be honest: when outsiders outnumber locals in business, politics, and land ownership, it’s not co-existence it’s replacement. What will be left for our children if we don’t act now? A borrowed language? A borrowed land? A borrowed identity? This is not a call for hate. This is a call for survival. The Khasis are a peace-loving people, but peace without protection is surrender. Let us not be remembered as the generation that watched our homeland fade without raising a voice. Let us rise in unity, wisdom, and fierce love for our land.
This is our warning. This is our time.
Yours etc.,
Pynshaibha Latam,
Via email
Ever growing air pollution levels
Editor,
My name is Yarrabeth Kharkongor, and I am 11 years old. Every year, I look forward to coming home to Shillong for my summer holidays. But as much as I love this beautiful place, there is also a part of me that dreads it, because of the thick, black toxic smoke that pours out from the tailpipes of cars and trucks. The air becomes suffocating, and the pollution hangs over the city like a silent killer.
It makes me sad that a place I love so dearly feels like it’s hurting me and other children. Our lungs are still growing, and this dirty air is poisoning us.
I would like to ask the Pollution Control Board: Why isn’t anything being done about these harmful fumes? Why are vehicles allowed to pollute the air so badly?
If Shillong acts now, we could save many lives in the next 30 years. Pollution is a serious danger, especially for children. It can lead to asthma, worsen breathing problems, affect brain development, and even increase the risk of premature births and sudden infant death.
We need clean, fresh air to grow up healthy. We need to do something before it’s too late for us, and for the generations to come.
Yours etc.,
Yarrabeth Kharkongor
Via email
Decoding Assam CM’s Stance on USTM
Editor,
While Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has framed his opposition to the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) around environmental and legal concerns, there is a growing perception that his stance reflects a deeper, more nuanced discomfort—one that extends beyond mere ecological vigilance. His repeated and unusually sharp remarks about USTM, including his public wish for the campus to be “razed,” suggest a level of personal animosity that appears disproportionate to the issue at hand. Given that USTM is a UGC-recognised institution established through a state legislative act, the persistent targeting of this particular university—especially when other similar institutions across the region face less scrutiny raises questions about underlying motives. The fact that the university is located in a border area, where territorial sensitivities between Assam and Meghalaya have long persisted, adds another layer to this narrative. It is difficult not to see a pattern where development initiatives in Meghalaya, particularly those near the inter-state boundary, are met with resistance from Assam’s leadership. This has led to a perception among many in Meghalaya that the criticism is less about forest laws and more about curbing the state’s autonomy and progress in strategic sectors like education. In this light, Sarma’s actions may be interpreted not just as environmental advocacy, but as part of a broader posture that views development in neighbouring states especially along contested borders with suspicion, potentially undermining the spirit of cooperative federalism and regional harmony.
Yours etc.,
Marbiang Rymbai
Via email
Appeal for Subsidy in Diagnostic & Procedure Tests in Govt & Charitable Hospitals
Editor,
While Ensuring the health and well-being of its citizens is a fundamental responsibility of the State and providing affordable healthcare is paramount. The Central and State Governments have introduced initiatives such as the ABPMJAY and MHIS cards to facilitate access to healthcare services. However, these benefits are primarily available for hospitalization, which is often a last resort for many individuals.
Most people prefer outpatient department (OPD) treatments or visits to private clinics. To accurately diagnose ailments, attending doctors frequently recommend medical tests. Unfortunately, the cost of diagnostic tests in private hospitals and diagnostic centres is prohibitively high for the average person. Consequently, many individuals opt for tests at government hospitals, such as the Civil Hospital and NEIGRIHMS in Shillong.
Recently, even these institutions have seen a rise in the cost of diagnostic tests and procedures. This increase has placed a significant financial burden on the economically disadvantaged, who rely on these facilities for OPD treatments. Faced with high costs, many patients are forced to abandon medical treatment and resort to self-care, which can be detrimental to their health.
In light of the escalating costs of diagnostic and procedural tests in both government and charitable hospitals in Shillong, we appeal to the relevant authorities in the Central and State Governments to explore the possibility of providing additional subsidies for patients. Furthermore, we urge private hospitals operating in Shillong to consider their social responsibility and contribute to making healthcare more affordable. In no case should the motto be, ‘YOUR BODY IS OUR BUSINESS’
Yours etc….
Krishna Chettri
Shillong -2