Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
Several pressure groups of the state on July 17 came down heavily on the government for its alleged indifferent attitude towards tackling a number of pertinent issues in the state.
Leaders of pressure groups such as Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), and Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO), among others, slammed the government for delaying the implementation of the inner line permit (ILP), alleged corruption in the job recruitment process and its stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) among others.
“The government seems to be contended with passing an official resolution for implementation of the ILP. Therefore, we want to tell all the elected representatives not to play with the issue as it is their duty to fulfill this long pending aspiration of the people of the state,” said KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngar, after paying tribute to U Tirot Sing Syiem, on legendary freedom fighter’s 187th death anniversary.
Assuring the people that the fight to ensure the ILP demand is met will continue, Marngar also urged the government to ensure transparency in the job recruitment process. “We have asked the government to come up with a law that will ensure transparency in the job recruitment process but till date nothing has been done in this regard. As allegations of corruption in job recruitment in various departments of the government fly thick and fast, the government should come up with a dedicated cell to look into the matter,” he said.
Expressing concern that theft cases are on the rise in the state, Marngar alleged that “the thieves in the secretariat and different government departments are more dangerous as they deprived the educated youth of their rights to get job through a free and fair system.” The KSU chief also warned corrupt government officials not to play with the issues concerning the indigenous people.
Addressing the gathering, FKJGP president Dundee C Khongsit said that the pressure groups in the state will never allow the government to implement the CAA in Meghalaya. “We cannot allow illegal immigrants and influx to outnumber our microscopic population,” he said.
In view of presidential election on Monday, Khongsit urged all the 60 legislators and MPs from the state to vote in the presidential election with conditions to ensure that the new president takes up issues concerning the tribal people seriously.
Earlier, all the leaders of the pressure groups and indigenous Khasi community paid rich tribute to U Tirot Sing and also laid floral wreaths and observed a minute of silence in front of the statue of the legendary freedom fighter, at Madan Iewrynghep (Firebrigade) on Sunday. Leaders of the United Democratic Party (UDP), members of the Syiemlieh Clan and other groups and political parties also paid rich tributes to the legendary freedom fighter.
U Tirot Sing, a tribal Khasi chief of Nongkhlaw kingdom, was the first tribal Khasi ruler to rebel against the British empire in 1829. On January 13, 1833, the British forces treacherously captured him and kept him in captivity at Dhaka (then Dacca) where he died on July 17, 1835.