Govt attempts to silence ILP demand: Ardent
SHILLONG: Former legislator of Nongkrem Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit has alleged that there is an “understanding” between the chief minister Conrad K Sangma and Union home minister Amit Shah to silence the demand for Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya forever.
Basaiawmoit was addressing at a public meeting to make a clarion call on the need for a revolutionary protest against the Centre and to demand for strong and effective laws to protect the interest of the state and its people.
Hundreds of people from different walks of life including politicians and leaders of the different pressure groups came out to attend in support of the public meeting held at Madan Student, Jaiaw here on Thursday.
The meeting also unanimously resolved to start a revolutionary protest under the banner of “Iada La Ka Ri” or “To protect your own land” with a motto “Lawei Ki Pateng – for the future generation”.
Basaiawmoit said that Shah’s direction to the state delegation to come back after Christmas to discuss on the resolution passed by the Assembly was in fact a “big insult”.
“My reading to this is that there is an understanding between the chief minister and the union home minister. The CM has sought the help of Shah to remove Khasi-Jaintia Hills from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, which is an attempt to silence the ILP demand forever,” he said.
The former president of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) also questioned the 36 MLAs of the Khasi and Jaintia for their failure to oppose against the Centre’s decision to remove the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region from the BEFR, 1873.
“If the Centre has now granted ILP to a state like Manipur which does not have ILP earlier and remove the same from Meghalaya, what made you believe that it is ready to restore it back,” he asked.
Alleging the state government of trying to mislead the people on the issue, Basaiawmoit said the fact is that Meghalaya does not need to pass a resolution but it should have only issue a notification to implement the ILP.
“This was also admitted by the deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong when he stated that the last notification by the Centre was issued on December, last year,” he said.
He said that the resolution passed by state Assembly was following the massive protests by the people last year but the delay by the Centre (to response) is because that majority of the MLAs do not want ILP to be implemented in the state.
Taking a jibe at the double standard attitude of the ruling party (NPP) on the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, the ex-MLA said Conrad K Sangma had claimed that as a government, they are opposing but Agatha K Sangma was seen extending her full support to the then CAB in the Parliament.
He also questioned the failure of the Meghalaya government to pass a resolution to oppose the CAA unlike the other states in the country.
Stating that a revolution is the need of the hour, Basaiawmoit appealed to demand the Centre to include the state of Meghalaya under Article 371.
He said Article 371(A) states that no act of Parliament shall apply to the State of Nagaland in respect of the religious or social practices of the Nagas, its customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law and ownership and transfer of land and its resources.
“If states like Mizoram and Nagaland are given special protection, we also have the right to get the same,” he said adding that introduction of Article 371 will ensure the dorbar shnongs (which at present only self-styled organizations) are recognized as constitutional and traditional bodies.
“We need to strengthen our dorbar shnong so that they can effectively implement the Inner Line Permit,” he said.
The former legislator further said the revolution will also be against the rampant corruption in the state.
“The home minister and transport minister have to be answerable on the illegal mining and transportation of coal. The state is losing crores of rupees as the revenue is benefiting only a few,” he said.
Meanwhile, Basaiawmoit announced that the revolutionary protest will be known as “Protect your own land”. Meetings with the leaders of the traditional institutions and NGOs will also be held before announcing the agitational programmes. “We will with one voice go to Delhi to demand for effective laws for the state,” Basaiawmoit said.
The meeting ended with the chanting of the slogans for the revolution led by the former legislator.
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