Shillong, Feb 23: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the state government is pushing for the implementation of both ILP and MRSSA.
“I don’t say hurdle or no hurdle but we want both be it amendment of MRSSA and be it ILP, we want both. But that again is subjected to the discussion when the union home minister comes to Meghalaya,” he said.
He further added, “See you need to understand one thing if you talk about illegal migration, we do have central laws that mean people coming from outside India but this issue we are talking about people within the union territory (meaning all Indians) so there are different issues altogether. If you talk about illegal immigration as I said we already have the standing central laws and this is not even a subject of the state government. But the subject of the state government is when we talk about how to make sure our tribal people are fully protected and their identity is fully protected I think that is the issue that is why we wanted to strengthen further the MRSSA passed during 2016 and why we passed it again in the Assembly the amendment to make it further effective.”
He said the state government’s decision to demand the implementation of ILP is because there is a threat that links to illegal immigration following the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
“We are really concern about illegal immigration which again this subject is with the central government whereas the state subject relating to the identity preservation of all ethnics in the state has to be totally intact so therefore we demand one is ILP and no two is consent to the amendment of the MRSSA,” he said.
Asked, Tynsong said the CAA is not applicable to areas under the Sixth Schedule except in the two or three percent land outside the Sixth Schedule.
“That is why we have been demanding the government of India to bring these two or three percent areas under the Sixth Schedule in order for CAA to be fully exempted from Meghalaya,” he said while assuring that the issue will further be discussed with the union home minister next month.
