“Conrad Sangma prove yourself that you can lead Meghalaya to ILP regime, if not please step down” – one of the banners hanged by the anti-influx groups under the banner of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizations (CoMSO) in Shillong demanded on Friday.
The hanging of banners and putting up of black flags was organized as part of the statewide black flag protest over the Centre’s delay to implement the inner-line permit (ILP).
In other parts of the state, activists of the different organizations under the banner of the CoMSO also took out protest marches to observe the day.
Some of the banners also read, “Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, democracy is not for sale, implement ILP or we will issue you a notification through our own customary law that our greater dorbar recommended” “We reject the Citizenship Amendment Act” and “Meghalaya too deserves ILP”.
The protest was also to demand the state government to speed up sending the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to the Governor for his approval.
Speaking to reporters, CoMSO secretary Roykupar Synrem said the confederation has decided to stage the protest after seeing that the Centre is buying time to study the ILP resolution passed by the state Assembly, last year.
“We also want to ask both the Centre and State government to come out clear whether they want to implement the ILP in Meghalaya, if not, we will be compelled to further intensify our agitations,” he said.
“If the Centre can immediately give ILP to Manipur following its CAA protest but why for Meghalaya this step-motherly treatment. Therefore, we want to make it clear that ILP is our right as it is not a new law that we are demanding,” he asked.
Synrem also demanded that the Centre should respect the decision of the 60 MLAs as they represent the voice of over 33 lakh people of the state.
On the other hand, the CoMSO leader said it is high time for the state government to issue an ultimatum to the Centre to take a call on the ILP resolution.
“We also feel that the meeting with the prime minister or union home minister should not only be by the chief minister, deputy chief minister or ministers but all the 60 MLAs including the BJP MLAs should go to Delhi and if necessary to demonstrate instead of only making statements in the media,” he said.
Meanwhile, the CoMSO will also organize a sit-in-demonstration in the different district headquarters of the state to further mount pressure on the government to immediately implement the ILP in the state.
NNN