The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisation (COMSO) in the coming week will announce its next phase of protest against what it called the Centre’s indifference towards their demand to implement Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the State as well as the refusal of Union Home Minister, Amit Shah to meet the pressure groups.
COMSO chairman, Robertjune Kharjahrin said, “The State cannot face another law and order situation arising out of the non-implementation of ILP since the citizens are facing difficulties such as unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
However, Kharjahrin claimed that the time demands for immediate implementation of ILP as there is an attempt by people from Assam to enter the State which as a population of 1.3 crore Muslims.
He said that if the government delays in implementing ILP in the State, the group will have to find out ways and means to protect the indigenous population even if they have to take the law into their own hands.
At the same time, Kharjahrin said that the COMSO was ready to prove before the Union Home Minister, the need for ILP in Meghalaya, but he expressed his concern that the Centre was not interested in what the people of the State wants.
It may be mentioned that when Shah visited Shillong on January 23, to inaugurate the Plenary of the North Eastern Council (NEC), he did not give the pressure groups enough time to discuss the issue of ILP.
When, a delegation of the State government led by Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma met Shah in February, he told them that he would be visiting Shillong in March and would be meet the pressure groups and discuss ILP with them.
Kharjahrin has also expressed his doubts on the intention of the State government, which from time to time claimed that it is taking the issue seriously.
