The Centre is yet to respond to Meghalaya’s demand for the implementation of the inner-line permit (ILP) under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.
Exactly a month ago, the state Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution, demanding the Centre to introduce the British-era permit regime throughout Meghalaya.
Cutting across all political lines, the legislators voted in favour of a government-sponsored resolution seeking the introduction of the ILP, which is a regulatory mechanism to check the entry of “outsiders”.
The ILP mandates visitors to apply for a permit before entering any area where the regime is in place.
At present, the permit is being implemented in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur. Manipur was the latest state to be brought under the ILP following the introduction of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
The Act has kept all states where the permit system is in place, out of its purview.
The resolution, tabled by chief minister Conrad K. Sangma, came about following the enactment of the Act.
Although the Act has kept a vast majority of areas of Meghalaya outside its ambit, the government was forced to bring the resolution due to the demand from pressure groups. The groups wanted nothing short of the ILP.
The resolution was also brought about after the tide turned for Conrad and the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) when Tura MP Agatha K. Sangma voted in favour of the legislation in Lok Sabha.
Before tabling the resolution, Conrad and his team had met Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Shah had assured the delegation that he would meet them again after Christmas to discuss the fears that have arisen because of the Act.
However, Shah is yet to give Conrad an appointment. The state government wants to ensure that the Assembly resolution is taken seriously by the Union home minister and the Centre, and that the demand for the ILP would materialise.
Conrad was in New Delhi on Friday, but could only meet Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman where he discussed the state’s financial situation.
His office had confirmed that Shah was yet to give time to meet the chief minister.
Last month, Meghalaya had witnessed protests against the Act, and apart from the demand for the implementation of the ILP, there was also the demand to keep the entire state out of the Act’s ambit, and not just the scheduled areas, which constitute around 97 per cent of the state’s total area.