Meghalaya’s Demand for Inner Line Permit Gains Momentum as Chief Minister Meets Union Home Minister
The long-standing demand for an Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya is set to take center stage in a meeting between Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Guwahati on Sunday. The Union Home Ministry has convened a meeting of chief ministers from the Northeastern states to discuss the implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in the region.
Sangma is planning to raise the ILP issue, which is a contentious topic in the region. The megaproject sanctioned railway line linking Shillong to Byrnihat has been withdrawn, and the Chief Minister hopes to discuss the issue with stakeholders, including the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), pressure groups, and civil societies. The Meghalaya Assembly had passed a resolution in support of ILP in 2019, but logistical issues have yet to be resolved.
The demand for ILP in Meghalaya has been ongoing for over a decade, but the introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) sparked a renewed demand for the permit system in the state to control the influx of people from other states, particularly Assam. Pressure groups have expressed concerns about the ineffectiveness of the CAA exemption and the potential unwarranted influx of people into the state. They argue that the only defense against this spillover effect is the immediate introduction of the ILP system and the complete exemption of CAA in Meghalaya.
The Khasi Students’ Union has been warning the central and state governments that if they don’t take immediate action, they will take matters into their own hands and introduce the ILP system in Meghalaya. The union has promised to continue its fight against illegal immigration in various parts of the state and seek the assistance of local indigenous people in their struggle for ILP.
Despite the Meghalaya Assembly’s 2019 resolution to introduce ILP, the matter is still pending with the Union Home Ministry. Meanwhile, the state government has emphasized the need to strengthen the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) to address concerns related to the influx of people from Bangladesh. The ILP is an official travel document issued for movement in certain areas for a limited period, and people need it to travel to Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur.
As the discussion surrounding ILP continues, it remains to be seen whether the stakeholders can come to a mutually beneficial agreement. With the Chief Minister and Union Home Minister set to meet soon, the fate of the ILP in Meghalaya hangs in the balance.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2025/03/16/cm-to-raise-ilp-demand-with-hm-today/
Category : MEGHALAYA
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Publish Date: 2025-03-16 01:56:00
