KSU reiterates stand no ILP, no railways in Khasi Jaintia region

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 6, 2023

The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Wednesday reiterated that it is not ready to allow implementation of the railway projects so long as the Centre is adamant to enforce the inner line permit (ILP) in Meghalaya.

According to the KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah, the union is not totally against the implementation of the railway line if effective anti-influx mechanisms are in place to ensure that indigenous populations are not being outnumbered in their own state.

On the government’s proposed move to introduce only goods train in the Khasi-Jaintia region, Thabah said, “We have seen from time to time, the chief minister and other cabinet ministers are making tall claims that introduction of a goods train will bring benefits to people especially the farmers but they failed to see the danger that once railway tracks are in place, passenger train will ultimately be introduced.”

“Without ILP and other effective mechanisms to tackle influx, Meghalaya, having a microscopic population of indigenous people, cannot afford to bring railways  whether it is goods train or passenger train,” he said. He urged the state government to instead aggressively take up with the Centre for the speedy implementation of ILP.

Thabah said goods trains may bring benefits to the people of the state in terms of bringing down the prices of essential commodities but “one cannot put the indigenous population at risk of being outnumbered by outsiders.”

Further, he reminded that the demand for ILP in Meghalaya has started since the year 1987 and it is only in 2019 that the State Assembly has passed an official resolution on the matter. The resolution however is pending before the Centre for its decision.

“It is very surprising that the Centre is keeping silent on the demand till today despite several memorandums submitted for the immediate implementation of ILP in Meghalaya,” he said.