The Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) have been left a little surprised and disappointed that its members were summoned today by police in connection with a trading and labour licence raid carried out on July 8 to check shops at Polo and Demseiñiong.
FKJGP chief organising secretary Khrawkupar Nongsiej and its Shillong city president Arkinfield Khonglam were the two who were summoned.
Speaking to reporters, FKJGP president Dundee C Khongsit expressed surprise that only the leaders of the federation were summoned by the police when the checking of trading and labour licenses were done in the presence of officials of the Shillong Municipal Board, Labour, Food & Safety, and the Enforcement Wing of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), which issues the licences in question.
“In fact, the police and the government should have summoned the labourers and workers who have illegally come to work in our state without valid documents but instead they are summoning us, which is highly condemnable,” Khongsit said. “These steps taken by the police and government will not deter us but we will intensify the raids and checking of the labour licence as we cannot remain mere spectators to these illegalities.”
Individuals and non-government bodies are not empowered to conduct such checks under the law but the FKJGP and other pressure groups have carried on regardless.
Stating that the federation is not against the labourers who come to work in the state lawfully, with valid documents and work where the indigenous tribals still cannot, Khongsit stressed that without any restriction a grave danger awaits the state.
He also lambasted the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for saying last week that there is no work permit system in Meghalaya.
“If there are no such rules it is our duty to demand from the government for such rules and if such laws exist, it is still our duty to demand from the government to implement it in letter and spirit,” Khongsit added.
He also informed that the FKJGP members were summoned not based on any FIR filed by anyone but after the police took suo moto notice.
