SHILLONG:
Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) will write to the government to demand implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.
Speaking to reporters after the party’s general council meeting on June 3 at Dinam Hall, here, its working president Thomas Passah said that nothing was being done about the ILP issue despite the Assembly resolution and alleged it was passed in 2019 only to beguile the people.
He taunted the MDA government for being a big fan of resolutions and committees without any solution.
“They are a government of resolutions and committees. In 2018, the resolution on Khasi language was passed and it remains a resolution till now and in 2019, a resolution on ILP was passed, that too remains a resolution, there was a committee on Them Iew Mawlong which is taking too long,” he said.
He said that the resolution passed in 2018 to include the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule to the Indian Constitution was not taken seriously by the government.
“This government comes up with resolutions whereas there is no solution,” Passah said.
Calling the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security Act a failed instrument, he said that the option left now is implementation of ILP.
He claimed that MRSSA failed to check influx and the task of detecting illegal immigrants virtually fell on the shoulders of vigilant civil groups.
Arguing that ILP will not affect tourism, the KHNAM working president said, “ILP will be a safe and secure route for the tourists. We will not look at them as illegal immigrants. No one will disturb them. ILP cannot affect tourism.”
Stating that ILP will take time, he said that the onus falls on the Autonomous District Councils to keep a check on influx.
“If the dorbar shnongs were more vigilant, we would not need ILP but some misuse their power,” he said.
He said that the party stands on the principles of clean governance and had contested the elections without money power.
Passah said the party is also demanding that the state government call a debate with the expert committee on the legality of the party’s recommendation for amendment.
“As per statement of the chairperson of the committee on reservation policy we were told that we would not have experts from the state of Meghalaya, experts would be called from outside, this sows doubts in our minds whether the demand to amend the SRP 1972 would be met or not,” Passah.
According to him, the expert committee should have intellectuals as its members.
The KHNAM has demanded that the word “autonomous” from Para 1 and Para 1 (a) & (b) of the SRP dated January 12, 1972 which provide for 40 per cent of reservation each for Khasi-Jaintia & Garo be deleted and “Reservation is worked out based on the population structure of the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities respectively or 80 per cent combined reservation be made in favour of all communities of the state (Khasi, Jaintia and Garo) which is to be filled on merit basis for administrative efficiency.”
The party also decided to send a representation to do away with the joint cadre with Assam as it affects the functioning of the state of Meghalaya at various levels be it boundary dispute and other related subjects.
“Our strong view is that the joint cadre system should be done away with and if we have to have it then a joint cadre with other states like Mizoram, Nagaland but not with Assam,” Passah added.
The party also said that personal interviews for job recruitments should be done away with.