Shillong, Feb 27: The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizations (CoMSO) has written to the Speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birla to seek the legislation and implementation of strong and effective Laws for the protection and promotion of the rights and interests of the indigenous people of Meghalaya.
In the memorandum, the organization has sought the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) System in the state asserting that the state has been demanding ILP for a very long time.
The CoMSO said that there is a need for the Governor of Meghalaya to give his assent to the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security (Amendment) Bills, 2020 and has requested Birla to request the Governor of Meghalaya to give his assent to the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security (Amendment) Bills, 2020.
The organization has requested the Speaker to take necessary steps for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo language in to the Eight Scheduled of the Constitution of India.
The organization has also requested to take necessary steps for settlement of interstate boundary dispute at the earliest and to protect the territorial right of India in the State of Meghalaya.
With regard to international boundary, the organization has requested the Speaker to have complete fencing from the zero line of the entire stretch of the Indo-Bangla Border in Meghalaya is required to ensure that entry of illegal immigrants is thwarted and to also ensure that encroachment from the Bangladeshi side ceases.
Some of the other suggestions were to make the entire state of Meghalaya as Tribal Area. Currently, in the state there are some areas such as the Shillong Normal Area or the Municipality area of Shillong are not Tribal areas and they are not within the jurisdiction of KHADC.
“Hence, in order to bring uniformity, it is important to make/declare an entire Meghalaya as Tribal Area falling within the purview of the Sixth Scheduled to the Constitution of India”, the CoMSO said.
The organization also suggested empowering the Governor to exempt and modify any Act of Parliament in the State of Meghalaya.