The Assembly today spent an inordinate amount of time discussing a warning put up on the walls of the Indian Air Force base in Laitkor, which states that trespassers will be shot.
The matter was raised by Nongkrem MLA Lambor Malngiang, who wondered if Meghalaya had been turned into Kashmir.
Malngiang stated that such warnings will terrify local residents and that lives could be put at risk because many people, especially in rural areas, may still be illiterate. The warning has been written in English, Khasi and Hindi.
“God forbid if by mistake villagers pass through the Air Force campus. Will they be shot and killed? Meghalaya is not Kashmir and our people are not terrorists. This is to terrify our people,” stated Malngiang.
Mawlai MLA Process Sawkmie also spoke on the issue, claiming that members of the public are often harassed when passing through military land.
East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh recounted her own run-ins with men in uniform, this time the Assam Rifles, whom she encounters as they have a base in Laitumkhrah.
“It is very humiliating for an MLA to constantly be stopped and constantly be questioned by the personnel manning the gates at DGAR (Directorate General Assam Rifles) office,” she said.
Umroi MLA George Lyngdoh also brought up the alleged nuisance faced by people around the Umroi Cantonment. Others who spoke on the matter were opposition legislators Dr Mukul Sangma and Charles Pyngrope.
In response, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma stated that the Eastern Air Command had explained the need for the warning. Sangma said that the warning is not a threat to locals, with whom the force has always tried to maintain harmonious relations.
Such warnings are present on other military bases around the country. Security at such facilities has been heightened after the Pathankot attack by Pakistan-backed militants in 2016.
“I appreciate and respect the concerns that have been raised by honourable members.. these are very important concerns and it affects the lives of our people but as I said we need to communicate and resolve this issue by engaging with armed forces and ensuring that we find a middle path where we are able to ensure that their safety and security is maintained at the same time to ensure that the inconvenience to the people is minimized,” the CM said.
He added that certain rules and procedures at the national level cannot be simply changed at a local level.
