CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Amid the continuing demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya, the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) has urged the State government to immediately enforce the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016, contending that the law should be operationalised without waiting for the 2019 amendment, which remains under legal and constitutional consideration.
Maintaining that ILP and MRSSA serve distinct purposes, the union said MRSSA cannot replace the demand for ILP, asserting that while ILP is meant to regulate the influx of people entering Meghalaya, the State law should function as an immediate mechanism to strengthen residents' safety and security. The union also demanded that facilitation centres at Umling and Ratacherra be made operational and opposed the proposed establishment of a food court at the Umling facility.
Addressing reporters, KSU General Secretary Reuben A. Najiar dismissed the government's contention that the 2019 amendment had substantially strengthened the MRSSA, saying it added little beyond penal provisions for furnishing false information. He argued that the original 2016 Act faced no legal impediment to its implementation, unlike the 2019 amendment, which remains pending before the High Court and awaits Presidential assent. "The worst version is that the MRSSA, the amendment, which has been made in MRSSA will give tooth or will empower the Act much more. I feel is called completely wrong."
Najiar said the union had objected to the proposed food court at the Umling facilitation centre after obtaining information through the Right to Information Act. He claimed that the Meghalaya High Court had already disposed of litigation concerning the facilitation centre and had not held it to be unconstitutional or violative of the right to free movement. "Implement the 2016 MRSSA Act."
Reiterating the union's stand, Najiar said the implementation of MRSSA should not be viewed as a substitute for ILP, stressing that the demand for ILP remained unchanged as it was specifically intended to regulate the entry of people from outside the State. He said MRSSA was introduced by the State government as an interim legal framework to address concerns over the influx while the proposal for ILP remained pending with the Centre. "ILP and MRSSA are two different topics altogether; we cannot say MRSSA will overtake ILP."
Rejecting the government's reported proposal to hold discussions with the union on the issue, Najiar said the KSU's opposition to converting the facilitation centre into a food court was non-negotiable. He urged the government to operationalise facilitation centres at Umling, Ratacherra and other notified locations, activate District Task Forces and fully enforce the decade-old law, arguing that effective checkpoints could help curb illegal influx, strengthen public safety and intercept the movement of narcotics into Meghalaya."The union will say no to the food court."
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