CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: The demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya resurfaced with renewed intensity on Friday as members of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizations (CoMSO), led by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), staged a forceful protest at the Secretariat in Shillong. Chanting slogans of “No ILP, No Rest,” the protestors surged towards the Secretariat gate under heavy security deployment.
CoMSO chairman and HYC president Roykupar Synrem led the demonstration, linking the recent murder of Raja Raghuvanshi in Sohra to the lack of an ILP system. Synrem alleged that individuals from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh entered Meghalaya undetected, committed the crime, and left without any trace, exposing serious lapses in the state’s security mechanism.
“Had ILP been in place, there would have been a record of these people’s entry and exit. The authorities would have known that Sonam Raghuvanshi came to the state with her husband and left alone, which could have helped in tracking her and the co-accused,” he said.
Synrem criticized the state government for its inaction despite repeated demands for ILP to combat illegal immigration. “There are a lot of illegal immigrations, and that is why we are demanding the implementation of ILP. Today, we came to remind the government that it is high time to act,” he said.
In addition to the ILP, Synrem demanded the formation of Special Investigation Teams (SITs) in every district, as instructed by the Union Home Ministry, to detect and deport illegal immigrants—especially from Bangladesh. He rejected claims that there are no illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the state, citing arrests and apprehensions made along the more than 400-kilometre-long international border.
He also criticized the delay in implementing the 2024 amendment to the Migrant Workers Act, which was passed by the Meghalaya Assembly but is yet to be notified. “That amendment includes provisions to identify workers entering the state. We’ve seen cases where workers from Assam with criminal backgrounds repeated the same offences here. If the amendment had been enforced, such incidents could have been prevented,” he said.
Synrem declared, “We have not come here to meet any minister or the chief minister. We came to remind them of their responsibility to the people.”
He concluded by warning that this protest was only the beginning of a larger movement. CoMSO, he announced, would soon launch a series of protests across Meghalaya to press for ILP implementation. “We want the people of Meghalaya to know that the ILP demand is still alive. Maybe the government has forgotten it—but we have not.”
Also Read: Meghalaya to strengthen MRSSA, mandate tourist registration
Also Watch: