By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 5: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) came down heavily on the state government on Monday for alleged deliberate abandonment of the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (MRSSA), as evident from Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong’s recent statement.
During a recent meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a state government delegation in New Delhi, Meghalaya had proposed incorporating a provision within the Immigration and Foreigners Act that would mirror the existing Inner Line Permit (ILP) framework, effectively allowing the state to function as a protected or restricted area under the Act. The response from Shah, Tynsong had indicated, was encouraging.
Taking serious exception to his statement, the HYC alleged that the state government allowed the MRSSA Bill to “die a natural death” while attempting to shift responsibility for its failure onto the previous Mukul Sangma-led government.
HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem in a statement said Tynsong’s remarks were not merely political opinion but amounted to an admission of failure by the present government.
“A law does not die naturally. It is either pursued with legislative intent or abandoned through executive inaction. By openly acknowledging that the MRSSA Bill has been allowed to lapse, the MDA government has admitted that it chose not to exercise its constitutional authority to amend, strengthen or reintroduce the legislation,” Synrem said.
He pointed out that the MRSSA Bill was introduced in the Assembly in March 2020 under the present Chief Minister. It was returned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in November 2023 for review, after which the government had repeatedly assured the public that it would undertake re-examination, legal consultation and stakeholder engagement.
“Despite enjoying a clear majority and ample time, no amendment to the principal Act was ever placed before the House,” Synrem said, adding that shifting blame to the previous regime does not absolve the current government of responsibility.
“Any legislative defects could have been rectified during the MDA’s tenure. The failure is not historical; it is current,” he said.
The HYC also highlighted what it described as a contradiction between the government’s earlier claims that the Centre had not rejected the Bill and the present admission that it had been allowed to lapse. According to the organisation, these inconsistent positions reflect indecision and a lack of seriousness on an issue that directly affects indigenous security and demographic stability.
The council further stated that the residents’ safety framework had been projected as a meaningful alternative to the ILP system. “Allowing it to collapse without any replacement sends a dangerous signal that the protection of indigenous people is negotiable, postponable and ultimately expendable,” the statement said.
The HYC demanded that the government clearly state whether it intends to pursue a strong, enforceable law with the Government of India or whether it has formally abandoned the objective of a statutory entry-regulation mechanism altogether.
Warning against silence and evasion, the organisation said it would pursue the matter through all democratic and constitutional means until clarity, accountability and concrete action are forthcoming from the government.
