The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has supported the right of pressure groups to check the antecedents of migrant labourers working in Meghalaya as it says the state government has abdicated its responsibility.
KHNAM leader Thomas Passah said that the Meghalaya Identification, Registration (Safety & Security) of Migrant Workers Act 2020 calls for registration and police verification of migrant labourers.
The act also clearly mentions the need for a body to monitor the entry of migrant labourers into the state.
“The various raids conducted by the pressure groups are justified because the government has failed to look into this matter,” he said.
Thousands of workers have been harassed and told to leave the state by pressure groups who have chosen to take it upon themselves to check their paperwork.
“This act also holds the contractor who brings the migrant labourers accountable and that he (or she) cannot register the labourer for more than 179 days, but when the Labour Department is not monitoring anything as per the act, then these things are bound to happen,” Passah said. “The pressure groups have the right to be concerned about the flow of migrants without any restriction who can gradually turn to illegal settlers here.”
“[Chief Minister] Conrad Sangma is saying that NGOs or anybody else do not have the right to check…but we are saying even if we don’t have the right, we have a responsibility while the government has none,” he added.
