SHILLONG, FEB 21: The National People’s Party on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre government for paying no heed to the demand for implementation of the inner line permit (ILP) and inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
National vice president of the party Prestone Tynsong told reporters that he finds it very strange to see that just because the elections are at their doorstep, the BJP is promising to pursue the ILP and languages demand but failed to pay any heed to the resolutions passed in these regard by the Meghalaya Legislative.
He also recalled that the Conrad K Sangma-led delegation had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on several occasions requesting them to consider the resolutions on ILP and the two languages.
“We have already passed the resolution three and a half years before and when we went for a delegation under the leadership of Conrad K Sangma, they (BJP) did not pay much heed on these issue be it languages or be it ILP,” he said while adding “But it is so strange to see now because elections is at their door they said yes we are going to pursue if BJP formed the government in Meghalaya we will pursue the issue of ILP and issue of languages to the central government.”
According to him, such a promise made is only a political game by the BJP during elections.
The deputy chief minister further informed that NPP-led state government had also aggressively pursued the matter related with the amendment to the Meghalaya Residents, Safety and Security Act, which is lying pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs and said, “I could see they are not at all serious about these issues which are very sensitive and very important for the state of Meghalaya.”
Stating that voters will understand the true colours of all political parties in Meghalaya when it comes to the ILP and other pending issues, Tynsong said, “I am very sure that they are going to have faith in us once again. On March 2, let me tell you we will cross the required numbers 33-34 seats, we will get and we will form the government on our own.”
“In fact no other parties who has taken up these issues ILP or even the languages I did not see any resolution made prior to the MDA government led by the NPP but we are committed and we have done it and we are committed to follow it up again and we will pursue this pending issue with the Government of India,” he further assured.
When asked, the NPP leader said that the objective of implementing ILP in Meghalaya is not to restrict the movement of people or tourists into the state but to ensure protection to them.
“Our objective is to protect not only the indigenous people but the people who are entering the state,” he said while referring to incidents of assault on such people.
He said ILP means to give such people protection by helping them to register to ensure the district administrations and police stations ensure they are safe.
“As of now, I feel pain to see people getting assaulted but the ILP is not to restrict entry of people but to regulate in the sense people can register themselves online or offline so that the government can take care of them. This will really help protect people who come to the state as tourists, as investors, official works and studying here…,” he asserted.
With Meghalaya being a transit state, Tynsong said that the state government in its meeting with the union home minister Amit Shah had assured that the ILP will not in any way affect the transit movement of people through Meghalaya.
“We will not touch those using the state as a transit route. We are talking about people from outside the state and those wanting to stay for a while in the state and that the whole administration knows that they are in the district and ensure their safety accordingly.”
Meanwhile, Tynsong said he is confident that the people of the state will repose their faith in the NPP.
“This is because they knew well and they have seen it with their own eyes that it is only us who dare to take long pending issues for the past 50 years that include border issue, them metor, ILP, inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule. We were the one who did it who brought it in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and we were the ones also who send it to the government of India,” he added.
By Our Reporter
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