SHILLONG, APR 12: The opposition Congress today staged a walk-out in protest against the “anti-people agenda” of the six-party Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by the National People’s Party (NPP) to issue work permit to Bangladeshi nationals.
The opposition was not satisfied with the reply of the chief minister Conrad Kongal Sangma to the short duration discussion on the issue moved by Congress MLA from East Shillong Ampareen Lyngdoh during the ongoing Assembly session held here on Thursday.
Strongly opposing the CM’s recent proposal to the Centre, members of the Congress and lone Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) MLA Adelbert Nongrum demanded the state government to immediately drop the idea of work permit to Bangla nationals.
Before staging a walkout, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma said, “We have heard the exhaustive reply of a “matured” CM and his reply indicates his complete disregard and disrespect to the sentiments of the people of the state and the region. Therefore, we will continue to demonstrate our protest against this anti-people agenda of this government by staging a walkout.”
Soon, Mukul along with 19 other Congress MLAs immediately walked out of the Assembly hall as a mark of protest. However, Nongrum who is neither supporting the ruling nor the opposition, refused to join them in the protest.
In the course of his reply, the chief minister had defended by saying that issuing of work permit to Bangladeshi nationals was only an “idea” that has been brought forward to discuss whether it will help in protecting the people and the land from illegal immigration or not.
He said that the matter came up during a discussion with the Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who had expressed the importance of taking the Act East Policy to a new level and ensure that states get the benefit out of it.
“Therefore before assessing and discussing about the need for scrapping this (idea), let us discuss and look at all the pros and cons and let us not be people who simply look at the word and say I can’t accept this,” he said.
The CM however maintained that the matter related to issuing of the work permit to foreign nationals are totally a subject matter of the Central government and that it has nothing to do with the state government.
Stating that the opposition failed to see the “big picture”, Conrad said, “Everybody is missing the big picture. What is the point out here is that we are talking about economic development, about trade and the Act East Policy.”
Asserting the need for the state to get to its exercise with other NE states are already drafting their policies on the Act East Policy, he however said but trade and economic development also comes with more movement of products and people.
“There is need to ensure that mechanism comes in to balance these two factors – economic development and illegal immigration,” he said adding “If the process is too tight, economic development suffers and if process is too loose, then illegal immigration will happen. We need to find a way that can balance these two things, which is a real challenge.”
Informing that a meeting of all the chief ministers to discuss on the Act East Policy will be held in New Delhi on May 4, Conrad said urged all the members to give their suggestions on how to make the Act East a strong policy that will ensure development and protection to the people.
Assuring that the government will do whatever it takes to protect the interest of the people of the state, the chief minister said, “We will never compromise on our identity, we will never compromise on our land and we will not compromise on our youth.”
Earlier while participating in the short duration discussion, Mukul accused the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) of cheating and betraying the people of the state and urged the CM to stop his proposal and not to dissuade upon the hand of others.
“This (issuing of work permit to Bangladeshis) is not a proposal of the NPP or the MDA. Has this been part of the NPP’s election manifesto? If not, then it is a betrayal of not only the people of Meghalaya but the North East region and nation as a whole,” he said.
He also asked whether the idea of issuing of work permit to Bangladeshi nationals was part of the Government of India’s proposal on Citizenship Act (which seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus from Bangladesh).
“I could see (in reports) the Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Sawraj and Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju appreciating this proposal (by the CM). But it may be good for them but it is not good for Meghalaya and North East region,” Mukul said.
Reacting to this, Conrad charged the opposition leader of giving an immature statement and likened it to that of an election speech.
“I urged the opposition let us be real statesmen and focus on issues that affect us. Let us take things in a positive manner and let us not give election speeches and political speeches here in the House. Let us give ideas that will take the state forward as citizens expect us to be matured and take steps that are going to be in the interest of the people of the state,” he said.
Another Congress MLA Himalaya Muktan Shangpliang while referring to the opposition expressed by several NGOs in the state against the issuing of work permit to Bangladeshi nationals, said that in fact to even have a thought about it is wrong.
He also wanted to know under what law or provision of the constitution of India that the chief minister wants to issue work permit to foreign nationals while urging the government to instead speed up the setting up of the entry-exit points to check influx and illegal immigration.
On the other hand, MLA from Umroi George B Lyngdoh while pointing out the implication of the NRC conducted by Assam government said, “The idea of the government will open the floodgate to these families (Bangladeshis) and it is like inviting them to our state.”
Echoing similar concerns, KHNAM MLA from North Shillong Adelbert Nongrum said that the proposal of the chief minister to issue work permit to Bangla nationals is highly objectionable and urged the MDA government to refrain itself from this idea which might create chaos in the state.
By Our Reporter
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