Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) general secretary Donald V. Thabah has reaffirmed the Union’s long-standing demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya, stressing that the issue dates back nearly four decades.
“The demand for the Inner Line Permit is a long pending demand which takes back into 1987. So we have been demanding ILP during the CAA agitation also the demand for ILP also came up. So we have been sending memorandums after memorandums to the Union Minister, Union Ministry of Home Affairs and it seems that everything went on deaf ears and this central government is always stating that it is examining the issue,” Thabah said.
He pointed out that despite repeated appeals, the Centre has failed to act decisively. “We look in the past few days, certain Minister of State also said that the ILP is still there on the agenda of the central government. But whereas, we are still waiting and demanding for ILP.”
Thabah also spoke on the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), underlining its importance as a complementary mechanism to ILP. “The MRSSA, we feel that it is very important to be implemented and the principal Act of the MRSSA has been passed in 2016. It has received the Governor’s assent but the government is yet to fully make it operational. Yes, the district task forces have been constituted in certain localities, but we want MRSSA should be implemented in letter and spirit. It should be fully implemented right from the facilitation centres and the entry-exit points. But whether MRSSA is being implemented or not, the demand of ILP is still there.”
He also said the Union would closely monitor the implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Scheme (MRSSS) to ensure it is enforced in both letter and spirit across the state.
Advocating for both frameworks to be enforced simultaneously, Thabah added, “If we have MRSSA, if we get ILP also, it will be better for us.”
When asked whether the KSU would participate as stakeholders in discussions on railway connectivity in the state, Thabah responded, “We are stakeholders, but we have been time and again, we have stated to the government that we are against the introduction of railways in Meghalaya without proper mechanisms to safeguard the rights of the indigenous tribal population.”
Expressing strong reservations against the railway project, he said, “The introduction of railways — because we feel that without any mechanism to protect the indigenous people of the state from becoming minority in their own land — then let the government should not speak about railway or should not even call us for talks on railways because we are against it.”
Asked if full implementation of the MRSSA would change the Union’s stance, Thabah remained cautious. “Let’s see how much MRSSA is going to be effective. Let MRSSA be implemented first and then we will see.”
He also stressed the need for structured entry protocols. “Modalities can be sought out for the people entering our state and going to other states. That can be sought out.”
On the issue of influx, Thabah cited ground-level realities, stating, “You see, there is no documentation because we have not done census in 2021, but we can understand and we can feel whenever we go around. Even in Schedule Area also in Shillong, you can see that the indigenous Khasis are becoming minorities in such localities.”
