By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 4: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Thursday urged the Centre to expedite implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya, resolve the protracted Assam-Meghalaya boundary dispute and facilitate inclusion of Khasi in the Eighth Schedule during a delegation meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The delegation, led by president Raymond Kharjana and general secretary Reuben A. Najiar and including former president Lambokstarwell Marngar, submitted a memorandum setting out concerns facing indigenous communities in the state.
Briefing reporters, Najiar said the delegation told Shah that ILP remains a top priority for the people of Meghalaya and is needed to check unchecked migration and protect the demographic and cultural identity of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities. He cited recent eviction drives in Assam and West Bengal as evidence of renewed migration concerns and noted that Meghalaya currently lacks adequate legal safeguards to regulate entry and settlement.
The KSU also pressed the Home Minister on the unresolved interstate boundary dispute with Assam, pointing to renewed tensions in areas such as Lapangap. Najiar alleged that Assam had continued activities that undermine a status quo understanding between the states. Shah, Najiar said, indicated the matter primarily falls to the state governments but added the Centre would intervene if established procedures were not being followed.
On the demand for inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule, Najiar said Shah told the delegation the issue is under active consideration. He reportedly mentioned the Centre is considering constituting a committee of retired Supreme Court judges to examine demands from various linguistic groups and make recommendations.
Asked whether the meeting produced concrete assurances, Najiar said it would be premature to draw conclusions. “Our responsibility is to place the concerns and aspirations of the people before the government. The decision to act on these demands ultimately rests with the state and central governments,” he said.
Earlier, the KSU members staged demonstrations across Shillong, including at Polo Grounds and near the U Kiang Nangbah statue, carrying placards calling for ILP, protection of natural resources and an end to proposed uranium mining. Slogans included “ILP is the only solution to stop illegal immigration” and “Leave it on the ground: Stop uranium from tainting our towns.”
The union also protested delays in recruiting qualified nurses at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), demanding timely appointments and better healthcare staffing.
Najiar reiterated the KSU’s commitment to peaceful agitation and public awareness campaigns to press for ILP and other demands, expressing hope that the Centre will review Meghalaya’s case in full and take a positive decision in due course.
