The Hynniewtrep Youths’ Council (HYC) has demanded the immediate implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.
Talking to Meghalaya News 24, Hynniewtrep Youths’ Council (HYC) President Roy Kupar Synrem on Wednesday said if not ILP then the Governor should give his approval to Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security (Amendment) Bill (MRSSAB), 2020.
“Our demand is that ILP should be implemented as soon as possible, If not, ILP then MRSSA Amendment, bill 2020 should be enacted and the governor should give his approval on the act until that is taken on,” Synrem said.
Stating that the HYC will continue checking documents of migrant workers in Meghalaya, Synrem said the organisation is not against development or any labourers, investors entering the state how they must register and the authorities must be apprised about their entry.
Stating that if the government or the chief minister or even the minister concerned cannot perform the duty as entrusted on them by Law then, he “We are left with no option but to take the law into our hand. We won’t listen to the Chief Minister but not to the Deputy Chief Minister or the minister concerned because if we think that this is the right thing to do, in order to protect our community to preserve our community, then HYC is ready to go to the extent and cross the line also.”
Stressing on the need to implement these laws, Synrem spoke about the Ri Bhoi incident where a factory own by non tribal is allegedly running without a valid licence from KHADC.
He said after an altercation with the owner, and the manager and all the staff of that company, the members of HYC had close down the factory on that day itself.
While stating that the organisation is not against development, Roy Kupar Synrem although it is the concern of the Government to do the work but in absence of that, the pressure groups have to take up the responsibility. When asked if the Migrant labourers moving out is hampering the development of the state, Synrem said the organisations are not against development but they are concerned with people coming from outside under the disguise of labourers and business man and get settled here and change the political structure of the state which will reduce the indigenous population to minority.
Asked, he said, “Our concerns are that we are not against people coming from outside and working in our state, we are not against people coming from outside as tourists as visitors as investors in our state, but what we are concerned is that our demography as a community should not be affected. Why? Because we don’t want people from outside to come here in the guise of labourers, in the guise of businessmen, and then get settled here and then it changes the political structure of the state as a whole and it will one day reduce us to a minority.”
The HYC leader further said, “We are not against development, we are not against investors coming and investing in our state, we are not against labourer coming and getting job opportunity in the state of Meghalaya but what we are concern is that if you have to enter our state you have to do as per law, that is the main concern. There are certain laws, there are certain regulations that entrust the contractors, agencies that before you bring labourers to our state you have to register with the concerned Authority and there is a provision in the act of 2020, the labour Act of 2020 that labour inspector has to register and that same register has to reach the local police station, as well as the local Authority, but that provision has not been implemented till date in the state of Meghalaya. So the question is, why have you made a law when you cannot implement the law in letter and spirit? That is our concern.”.
“We have seen reports that, you know, labourers are leaving the state because of the present situation but our requests are humble requests to these people, to the labourers, to the contractors to the companies concerns that see we are not against you, we are not against development but we are requesting you. That if you have to bring people for outside, please make sure that these people have proper documents and they are, properly registered with Authority and more importantly, the provision that said that the register of this labourers, they should reach the local police station, as well as the local authority that provision has to be implemented in letter and spirit,” he added.