“Will ensure no immigrant enters illegally”

SHILLONG, JULY 22: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has decided to implement the various laws including the ILP with the support of the traditional chiefs to ensure no immigrants get to enter the Khasi land “illegally”.

The decision was taken after announcing series agitations against the Congress-led state government following the failure of chief minister and his ministers to turn up for discussion on the 14-point of demands put forth by the HYC here.

Earlier, the HYC – which is a breakaway faction of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) – had submitted the points in the form of memorandums to the CM Mukul Sangma, 11 ministers, MLAs and political parties on February this year.

Implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) is one among the main demands of the HYC on the backdrop of the government’s keen interest to pave way for construction of the railway project in the state’s Ri Bhoi District.

However, due to the cold response from the state government, the organization decided to invite the Sangma and other cabinet ministers for a debate on the points revolving on various mechanisms to check influx into the state.

It may be mentioned here, the HYC has outrightly rejected the comprehensive mechanism which includes the two laws – Residents Safety and Security Act & Benami Transaction Prohibition Act (Amended) passed by the Assembly last year.

Addressing newsmen at Khasi National Durbar Hall, the venue fixed for holding the discussion, HYC general secretary Robertjune Kharjahrin announced agitations from July 26 as a mark of protest against the government’s adamant attitude.

The agitations will begin with holding of a black flag day in the state capital on July 26 followed by a sit-in-demonstration at the parking lot near the Additional Secretariat on July 27 and a discussion with all ruling MLAs on July 29.

“In view that the government not only means the chief minister and ministers, we have decided to invite all the MLAs belonging to the ruling government for discussion on the failures of their government,” Kharjahrin said.

Condemning the refusal of the chief minister to meet the people of the state, he said that keeping in mind that the very word chief minister means chief servant and the people are the owner, so we invited our servant to come and meet us.

“However the chief servant (CM)’s refusal to come and meet us is a big insult to democracy and also to the chair he is holding which is temporary,” he said.

Alleging the Mukul government of not taking interest on the issue, Kharjahrin said they have decided to urge all the traditional dorbar shnong and their chiefs in the Hynniewtrep land to come forward and implement the various laws.

“We will now implement the ILP by ourselves to ensure no immigrant without permission will enter any village under the territory of the Hynniewtrep land otherwise they will be treated as illegal and will be made to leave,” he said.

He further added that the punishment for illegal settlers will be as per decision of the dorbar shnong.

Referring to the state permanent registration act, Kharjahrin said, “No outsider who come and stay in the state on January 1971 will be given residential certificate.”

Informing that they would also request the autonomous district councils (ADCs) to joint hands in this decision, the HYC leader however maintained that implementation of such laws will not be with the “spirit of hate” against others.

“The implementation of these laws will be with the spirit of “self-defense” as enshrine in the Indian Constitution which gives us the right to preserve our own rights – socially, economically and politically,” he said.

According to him, if the state government fails to play its role in the protection and preservation of the tribal’s rights – the people who elected the government will take that responsibility on their own shoulder.