SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma was greeted with slogans by members of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) when he arrived for the inauguration of Mawlai C&RD Block.
As the chief minister’s convoy made its way to the venue at Mawlai Mawtawar, around 20 HYC members stood on both sides of the road and shouted, “We want ILP.”
Later, while addressing the media, HYC member Donboklang Kharlyngdoh said, “It is not a protest but we welcomed him for ultimately executing the long-pending Mawlai C&RD Block. But we want to show that apart from the C&RD block, we urgently need the implementation of ILP to check influx and protect the indigenous community.”
Kharlyngdoh asserted that ILP was their main demand to tackle influx while they considered other laws as secondary. He was referring to the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security Act.
“Illegal immigrants are the vote bank of national parties,” Kharlyngdoh said. In a stark contrast to the ILP slogans, over hundred members of the Mawlai Constituency Progressive Forum took out a procession to the venue to welcome Sangma. They held placards which had messages thanking him for the creation of the block. One of the placards read, “Chief Minister, we are proud of you.”
