SHILLONG, NOV 7: Leaders of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Monday were summoned at the Sadar police station in connection with a surprise protest over delay to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) – staged in front of the Secretariat in 2021.

HYC vice president Donboklang Kharlyngdoh, assistant general secretary Isaac Basaiawmoit and Shillong City president John Lyngdoh appeared before the investigating officer (IO) of Sadar PS in connection with the cases registered against them.

Speaking to reporters, Kharlyngdoh said the summon notices issued to the three leaders was related to incident in 2021 when the HYC and other pressure groups under the banner of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organization (CoMSO) had taken out a protest march to the Secretariat with regards to the ILP issue.

“They (police) told us that we have a case related to the 2021 protest where we had gone and stormed the Meghalaya Secretariat besides asking many questions on the incident. My reply was that if we do not go and raise our voice concerning an important issue in front of the secretariat, where should we go then,” he said.

He said, “You also have to remember that the pressure groups were compelled to protest at the secretariat after seeing there was no serious step taken by the government despite having passed the ILP resolution in 2019.”

Stating that they are not satisfied to see that the ILP demand will end up only in passing a resolution, Kharlyngdoh said, “Manipur had got ILP to regulate the entry of outsiders, so we also want similar protection. So we went to the Secretariat to remind the MDA government that Meghalaya deserves ILP and to question the steps taken by them to ensure the Centre speeds up its decision on the resolution.”

When asked, the HYC leader said that the pressure groups will further intensify their agitation to ensure ILP is implemented in Meghalaya.

“As a leader I don’t mind getting arrested or going to jail as long as my community will live and get the protection that it needs. We are not afraid and this is the message that we want to convey to our members and other pressure groups as it is not a sin to demand ILP,” he said.

He said that the 60 legislators had committed a sin by failing to follow up with the ILP resolution.

Meanwhile, Kharlyngdoh urged the people of the state to extend full support to the movement for demanding effective laws to protect the indigenous people and their land.