SHILLONG:
The voices demanding speedy implementation of the Inner Line Permit (LIP) in the state is set to grow stronger as the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), on July 12, decided to intensify its “anti-influx campaign”.
Slamming the government for delaying the implementation process and setting up of entry and exit points in the state, the federation said that the government has been passing the buck on the matter saying that the onus of ILP implementation now lies with the Centre and that the matter is now in the court.
“We have decided to intensify our anti-influx campaign as long as the state does not get ILP in the state,” said Dundee C Khongsit, the newly elected president of FKJGP, addressing the oath-taking ceremony of its new central executive committee (CEC), at the U Soso Tham Auditorium, on Tuesday.
Notably, the state assembly, in December 2019, had unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to immediately implement ILP in Meghalaya.
Khongsit also rapped the government for for its failure to implement the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) passed in 2016 by not setting up entry and exit points to check influx into the state.
“The government’s buying time to take the decision of setting up infrastructure in the proposed entry and exit points,” he said.
Stating that ILP and MRSSA are more or less having the same objective, Khongsit said that the entry-exit points were decided to be called as facilitation centres to ensure that they are not seen as “anti-outsiders” but this was misinterpreted by many.
Stating that owing to alleged rampant corruption in the state, the youth has lost faith in the system, the new FKJGP chief further also sent a strong warning to government officials not to play with the future of the youth.
Earlier, Khongsit along with the leaders of the new CEC, took oath administered by the former FKJGP president Wellbirth Rani. Rani, who had served as FKJGP president for 26 years, was also felicitated by the federation and the Khasi Students Union (KSU) during the occasion.
In his speech, Rani expressed confidence that the new body will take the responsibility of fulfilling the long-pending demands of the indigenous people by ensuring the state gets ILP and proper implementation of trading licenses.
“Although we are thankful that we have the reservation policy and the Land Transfer Act, we need more effective laws to protect our people and their interest,” he asserted. He further warned that massive agitation will be inevitable if the government continues to be adamant towards the demand of the pressure groups.
Echoing similar views, KSU chief Lambokstarwell Marngar said that it is high time the pressure groups take things in their hands and implement the ILP themselves. “How many more times do we need to knock on the door of the assembly or the central government? It is high time that we start implementing ILP by ourselves,” he said, adding that the KSU will continue to check illegal influx in the state.
Accusing the government of betraying the indigenous people of the state, Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) president, Sadon K Blah, said that the Centre is trying to take “shelter” in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for delaying the implementation of the ILP and its failure to totally exempt the state from the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
“Therefore, it is high time that we need to be aggressive while taking up these issues so that the Centre offers equal respect to the indigenous people of Meghalaya,” he said.