Shillong, July 7: The Chairman of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizations (CoMSO) Robertjune Kharjahrin on Wednesday said it is high time that the Centre should clarify its stand on the issue of Inner Line Permit (ILP) for state. If the Centre is not in favour of the ILP then it must explain the reasons and the difference between the tribals in Manipur and Meghalaya.

“If they can give ILP to Manipur why not us. Manipur is affected by the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) so is Meghalaya (we deserve the same protection)…why should there be different rights within the same country,” he said.

His statement comes ahead of the proposed visit of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the state on July 17.

Kharjahrin, also the president of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), said that the CoMSO had already sent letters requesting the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to facilitate a meeting between the NGOs and the Union Home Minister.

“It is also the duty of the Chief Minister to impress upon him (Shah) that he should meet the stakeholders. It is his duty to brief the Union Home Minster that these are the important issues that when you come to the state you should do this,” he said.

“We would like to see the entire Cabinet also meet Shah… If government of Meghalaya takes this matter seriously, the Home Minister will have no other option but to meet the stakeholders,” he added.

If the state government is not able to impress upon the Union Home Minister to meet the stakeholders, the chairman of CoMSO said it would only reflect that the state government doesn’t have the will and that they are too weak.

He said the CoMSO would also raise the issue relating to the long pending boundary dispute with Assam.

According to him, delay to settle the boundary dispute has put the people of the state in danger as there is no peace, and development has been disturbed. He said it is shameful for the state which is going to celebrate its 50th year of statehood and for central government which will celebrate 75th year of independence that states don’t have clear-cut boundaries.

“It is shameful to the Government of India because as per Constitution, it is duty of the central government to give proper boundary before giving statehood, but that did not happen with regards to Meghalaya and Assam besides other NE states,” Kharjahrin said.

“So this chronic disease has led to lots of unwanted activities, development has been disturbed, there is no peace and tranquility in the region – so we would like to see that Amit Shah will hear our point of view regarding boundary dispute,” he added.

The other issues pending with the MHA include demand for inclusion of the Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule and amendment of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India.