SHILLONG, AUG 17: The North East Students’ Organization (NESO) on Wednesday staged a sit-in-demonstration demanding the Government of India to immediately implement the 12-point charter of demands that include implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the entire North East region.
Leaders and activists of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF), Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF), Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) also participated in the protest held amid tight security.
The protest also witnessed displaying of banners some of which read: “CAA is a law for illegal immigrant, ILP is a law for the indigenous people”, “Detect, delete and deport illegal immigrants from Meghalaya”, “The Government of India should grant ILP which is a long pending demand since 1987”, “Save NE to save India”, “Include Khasi language in the 8th Schedule”
The NESO has been demanding to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958, repeal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), immediate implementation of the Assam Accord, solving the interstate boundary as well as international border issues, adopt an educational policy for NE region based on cultural and history of NE region.
Speaking to reporters, NESO chairman Samuel B Jyrwa said the sit-in-demonstration organized by the NESO is being held in all the seven states of the North East region as the government of India has ignored the demands which are for the protection of the indigenous people of the region.
He said the government of India has not only turned a deaf ear but instead of fulfilling the demands they have implemented or rather they promulgated the CAA which is against the interest of the indigenous people of the entire NE region.
“We therefore demand the central government to implement these issues so that our identity is not threatened in the near future,” Jyrwa, who is also the former KSU president, said.
When asked about the next course of action, Jyrwa said the constituent organizations of the NESO will be meeting from time to time to chalk out the future course of action.
“The different constituent organizations like the KSU, GSU, AASU and others who are affiliated to NESO are at their liberty to take out any agitations for the interest of the indigenous people of the entire region,” he said.
On the delay of the Centre to implement ILP in Meghalaya despite a resolution passed by the state Assembly in 2019, the NESO chairman said ILP is nothing new as it has been more than 30 years since the KSU has been demanding for its implementation to protect the indigenous people from illegal influx.
“However, we don’t know the mind of the Centre since they don’t speak clearly or they don’t spell out clearly what they have in mind…it shows that the government of India is not at all concerns about the preservation of our identity, preservation of our culture, of the microscopic indigenous communities in Meghalaya and other states of the NE,” he said.
He reminded that the protest was against the indifferent attitude of the government of India since Independence towards the NE states.
Jyrwa said that the NESO need not go to Delhi and put pressure on the central government as it knows enough about the demand for ILP and other issues concerning the indigenous people of the NE region.
“If the government of India is really keen to protect us they can do so but it seems that the government of India through its attitude all these years since independence it has a careless attitude towards the indigenous people of the NE region but rather they are interested only in the land and not the people,” he stated.
In his speech, KSU chief Lambokstarwell Marngar asked the 60 legislators not to play with the issues concerning the indigenous people of the state. He said there has been an attempt to shy away from such issues including ILP but they needed to be reminded that renewing of their licenses is nearing.
He also maintained that Meghalaya does not need railway lines but effective laws to protect its people from the unabated influx of outsiders. Marngar also warned that the union will give a befitting reply to any attempt to mine uranium in Meghalaya.
FKJGP president Dundee C Khongsit slammed the Centre for delaying implementation of the demands and said “if there will be no resolutions, there is no rest.” He said the demands of the indigenous people for ILP and others are well within the Constitution of India.
HNYF president Sadon K Blah said there is a need to exempt Meghalaya from the 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship. “Such friendship in the name of religion should not affect Meghalaya and other states of the North East,” he said.
Stating that the Centre cannot say that ILP will not be given to Meghalaya as it already has the autonomous district councils (ADCs), Blah said there is not a single provision in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India which is for the protection of the indigenous population from influx.
“I support the demand of the NESO for a blanket ILP in the entire North East region,” he said.
Blah said that the Centre is yet to frame rules for implementation of the CAA and this means that “we still need to continue opposing the CAA which is unacceptable to the indigenous people.”
The other demands of the NESO include to formulate a comprehensive policy for Economic development of NE region, the administrative centre of Act East Policy must be establish in the NE region itself, solving the unemployment problem by declaring NE special employment zone and all the grade III & IV of central offices must be reserved for NE people cent percent, to grant special constitution status for NE people with rights over land and natural resources, separate time zone for NE region, solving the refugee issue of Chakma and Hajong of Arunachal Pradesh and to look into the issue of people from Myanmar crossing over to NE to escape persecution like provision of food and shelter and other welfare amenities till the situation improves so that they can return back.
By Our Reporter
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