SHILLONG: The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) has demanded that the Centre and state governments implement a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to exclude illegal immigrants from the electoral process and amend the Constitution Scheduled Tribes Order, 1950, to restrict benefits to indigenous tribes of Meghalaya.
“We cannot deny the fact that there is illegal immigration in Meghalaya and these illegal infiltrators have not only encroached or settled on land belonging to the indigenous people but most of them have also been able to take part in the election process,” CoMSO chairman Roykupar Synrem said after chairing the executive committee meeting of the confederation on Tuesday.
Synrem said the Special Intensive Revision is needed to “purify the electoral roll” and prevent dual voting, citing instances of residents of Assam’s border villages voting in both states.
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“Pure electoral roll is the backbone of democracy,” he quoted the Chief Election Commissioner as saying.
On the Scheduled Tribes Order, 1950, Synrem said it recognises 53 to 54 tribes in Meghalaya, including those from other northeastern states, allowing them to buy land, contest elections, and do business without restrictions.
“This has allowed tribal communities from other states to have the same rights as us, whereas it is not reciprocated for the Khasis, Jaintias or the Garos in other states,” he said.
The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations has written to the Union Home Ministry and the Election Commission of India, urging implementation of the Special Intensive Revision and amendment of the Scheduled Tribes Order, 1950.
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Synrem said they will meet political parties, traditional institutions, and stakeholders to create awareness on the issue and give the government a deadline to take it up with the Centre.
“We will be writing to the state government within this week itself that it should take these issues seriously. We give the state government a deadline that within this specific period these issues should be taken up with the central government, with the Election Commission of India and the authorities concerned which are dealing with these two specific issues,” he said.
“We will also be writing and meeting all political parties in the state of Meghalaya and through them they will take it up with their respective MLAs because it will not be possible for us to meet all the 60 MLAs but we will be meeting the president and secretary of each of the political parties in the state,” he added.
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