GUWAHATI: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has expressed surprise over the Health Minister AL Hek’s remark that “only 30,000 citizens in Meghalaya were demanding ILP in the state”.
“This statement is immature and has not been made with clear knowledge. Is he trying to say that the 60 MLAs who unanimously passed a resolution for implementation of ILP represent only 30,000 people,” KHNAM spokesperson Thomas Passah reacted on Saturday. Cabinet minister and BJP MLA AL Hek had told the media on Friday that there was a “mixed response” to the demand for ILP in the state and that the entire population of Meghalaya, which is about 35 lakh, may or may not agree to the demand for ILP.
Countering the minister’s remark, Passah claimed that the ILP demand had the support of the entire population.
“We are very disappointed with the delay tactics and the casual attitude of the central government. We had expected some very positive response,” he told The Shillong Times on Saturday.
Reiterating the party’s doubts on the seriousness of the state government as well, which includes the 60 MLAs, Passah said, “Now the picture is clearer that there are MLAs/ministers who do not wish ILP to be implemented for vote-bank politics. And the reason is because they themselves are not clear what ILP is. They are merely assuming that ILP is anti-non-indigenous, which is totally wrong. Actually, it is the other way around as implementation of ILP will help us identify the genuine non-indigenous population of the state”.
He further said that implementation of ILP will not take away rights of other people as granted under the Constitution.
“On the contrary, ILP will give protection to the identity of the residents of the state in accordance with the Constitution of India. Then again, contrary to what has been assumed, ILP will facilitate tourism growth wherein tourists would be able to explore the beauty of the state in a more safe and secured environment and in an organised manner,” the KHNAM spokesperson said.
Citing an example, he further said that Sikkim, which has an ILP-like system, is one of the most happening tourist destinations of India.
