SHILLONG, FEB 25: The 13 pro-Inner Line Permit (ILP) ngos said that the 22 points clarification submitted by the government as to why ILP cannot be implemented in the state is a “political arguments” even as the leaders said that 52 existing laws of the state are “ineffective” to tackle influx.
The ngos will meet on Monday to decide on the steps to be taken in their fight to get the state government to implement the ILP to stop influx in the state.
The ngos including Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo Federation (FKJGP), Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) and others met on Tuesday to discuss the existing 52 laws and the recent 22 point clarification provided by the government on ILP.
“After examining and studying the 52 existing laws of the state government, we found that they are not effective enough to tackle the problem of illegal influx into the state,” HNYF general secretary Sadon K Blah told reporters after the meeting on Tuesday.
The ngos had suspended its agitations to study the 52 existing laws after a meeting a meeting with the state government on January 15.
Blah informed that of the 52, only 15 laws are directly related to the issue of illegal immigration. However, he said, though the issue is common but these laws are operating independently without integration, coordinating or synergizing efforts towards tackling the influx problem.
“In conclusion, we are of the opinion that these laws are not enough,” Blah added.
Informing that the ngos would again meet on Monday next, Blah said some of the organizations could not attend Tuesday meeting therefore a decision could not be taken.
“We would prepare our points of demands to be submitted to the government with regards to the issue of ILP and relationship and co-relationship of these 52 existing laws in our efforts to come up with a comprehensive mechanism to check and contain illegal influx into the state,” Blah said.
The leaders of the pressure groups however maintain that they are still firm on their stand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.
FKJGP president Joe Marwein said, “We have never said that we have given up our demand on ILP but we are of the opinion that we also need to look into the existing laws and decide on what kind of law would be the best mechanism to put in place to prevent influx.”
The state government had recently sent a 22-point note to the leaders clarifying as to why ILP cannot be implemented in the state.
On the government’s clarification, Blah said that there are some points with which they are not satisfied and not convinced because the state need to have a law in place that will restrict and prevent inflow of illegal influx into our state.
According to Blah the clarification submitted by the government is more of a “political argument”. He said that government in its 22 point note had stated that the ILP would discourage and hampered tourism, investment in health and natural resources and developmental works, undue harassment to the indigenous people.
The government clarification also had said that what would be worse would be the restriction imposed on outsiders in Meghalaya could trigger off similar reaction and response on the part of other states, adding that it “would bode ill for our people living in those states.”
Blah, however, said “Such arguments are just political arguments and we are not practically convinced by the government’s stand.” He said the ngos are of the opinion that ILP if implemented will not hamper any investment as there is already the industrial policy in place to ensure genuine investors are not subjected to any kind of harassment. – By Our Reporter
The ngos should not bow down easily to the tactic of the govt. The ngos must stick to implementing of ILP which is the right machanism to tackle influx.