Shillong, July 25:

Brief

– Pro-ILP groups met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday night

– They are disappointed with Shah’s failure to clarify Centre’s stand on ILP in Meghalaya

– KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngar terms Shah’s lack of assurance as “big insult” to indigenous people of the state

– NGOs to meet soon to discuss the next course of action amid the COVID-19 pandemic

– This is their third meeting with Shah on ILP

Full Report

The pro-Inner Line Permit (ILP) groups of Meghalaya were allowed an audience with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday night but they have expressed their disappointment at lack of clarity from Centre on ILP in the State.

Shah met leaders of various pro-ILP groups after chairing a meeting with the eight Chief Ministers of the North Eastern states at the state convention centre here.

The groups include Khasi Students Union, Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People, Ri Bhoi Youth Federation, Hynniewtrep National Youth Front, Garo Students’ Union, Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizations and others.

After the meeting, KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngar termed the failure of the Union Home Minister to give any assurance on the ILP issue as a “big insult” to the indigenous people of the state.

“The Union Home Minister only listened to our submission on the ILP but there was no assurance or commitment on ILP which is a big insult against the people of the state,” he said.

The KSU leader further informed that the NGOs would soon meet to discuss on the next course of action amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He said they need to find a cure to this ‘virus’ that has been affecting the indigenous community of the state for the past many years.

FKJGP president Wellbirth Rani said this is the third time they had meeting with the Union Home Minister, the first being at New Delhi followed by the meeting held during his visit to NEC in January, earlier this year.

“Today we actually expected that he would give us some kind of an assurance which he failed to do. Therefore, we are not satisfied and not happy with the outcome of the meeting,” he said.

CoMSO chairman and HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin said, “We are very disappointed as we expect that he should at least tell us the stand of the Indian government on important issues like ILP and others but that did not happen as he was just allowing us to make representation.

“We want to know the stand of the Govt of India and why they are not granting us ILP as they did for other states because even under this present NDA regime, ILP was granted to Manipur,” he added.

Stating that the meeting was a big letdown for the morale of the indigenous people, Kharjahrin said, “We are not losing hope, we will try to come back stronger than this and that the Centre should listen to the aspirations of the indigenous people.”