Five pressure groups on Thursday demanded NPP-led state government and all 60 legislators to meet and question on the Centre’s delay to take a decision on the two resolutions related to the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and inclusion of Khasi language in Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
After a meeting with the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin said that Tynsong had informed the delegation that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah may visit Shillong in a couple of weeks from now.
“We have accordingly expressed that we would like to have an audience with Amit Shah during his visit to Shillong and we would also like to see all the 60 MLAs go and directly ask (from him) what is the position of the two resolutions and why they (Centre) is keeping mum and taking so much time to grant these demands which have been long pending aspirations of the people of the state,” he said.
The two issues were among the nine point charter of demands of the HYC and other four pressure groups – EJNC, JSM, HANM and CORP – under ‘Save Hynniewtrep Mission’ which was launched recently.
Slamming the Home Ministry for delaying to grant ILP to Meghalaya, Kharjahrin said, “If it takes two-three months to study Manipur what is the big deal for Meghalaya. Why this step-motherly treatment. We are also indigenous, they are also indigenous, if you grant them protection why not us?”
Stating that it is a mistake to say only tribal commit violence against non-tribal, the HYC chief said, “Let’s go to history. It is a fact no one can deny it. Let us call a spade a spade. Can you deny that a non-tribal also is killing tribal in Meghalaya – we don’t want to continue that and it is high time for the union government to bring peace in our state by granting ILP.”
“We have been living together with a lot of non-tribal but we don’t want to see the population of non-tribal keep increasing in the state. This has to end once and for all in order to ensure there is peace and harmony in the state,” he added.
Demanding the government to immediately relocate the 342 families of Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong, Kharjahrin said, “We have demanded that only legal settlers meaning the employees of the various departments should be relocated while others should be evicted.”
He said the deputy chief minister has assured that the government will wait for a few weeks before taking other steps.
“We however made it clear in case they accept the blueprint, we do not want the government to wait till the construction of the (multistory flats) is completed (for relocating the families). The government should give them a rent allowance and let them (come out of Them Iew Mawlong) and stay wherever they want,” Kharjahrin said.
On the issue of corruption, the HYC chief said that the deputy chief minister has informed the delegation that the political department had already circulated the reports of the different inquiries to all the MLAs.
“We have demanded that the reports should be uploaded in the public domain,” he said.
Kharjahrin further warned that the five pressure groups would be compelled to file PIL if there is prima facie evidence that there is corruption in the power and social welfare departments.
“Why only police officials be arrested? Why not officers in the power and social welfare department? Law is the same for all,” he said.
Meanwhile, the five pressure groups also demanded the government to resolve the boundary dispute with Assam at the earliest.