Lok Sabha Member of Parliament, Vincent H Pala said that he will not be pressured to do things without studying knowing the advantage.
“We as leaders should look at what is the benefit of the people. If the pressure is for the benefit of the people definitely we will have to act,” Pala told reporters on Monday.
The Congress MP from Shillong was reacting to demands of pressure groups to implement Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya.
He, however, pointed out that the Congress was always for protecting the indigenous people of the state even as he said that the Sixth Schedule was envisaged during the Congress regime.
Pala also said that it was the Congress governments that brought many institutions to the State.
The Congress MP also said that with coal mining being halted and limestone mining restricted, the livelihood of the people of the State is now tourism.
“So whatever we do should not affect employment and tourism,” Pala said.
He said that ten people can create pressure but personally he does not succumb to it even as he added that the Congress has always been in favour of protecting the indigenous people.
“I am not in favour of putting up a gate,” even as he added that he is in favour of taking the traditional institutions along to implement stricter measures to check influx.
“We should have a system. We should not only conduct checks on the main roads but we should also look at what work on the ground,” Pala added.
The Shillong MP wants a real system to check influx which is practical and pragmatic to check infiltration.
Pala said that from Ratacherra to Guwahati there are 22 gates of the district council, police, DMR, transport but lots of illegal coal is being transported.
“The check gates don’t work at all. But if it is along with the headmen and other stakeholders it will be more effective,” Pala said.
