SHILONG: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has sharply criticized Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong’s recent remarks that the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security (Amendment) Bill, 2020 is being allowed to “die a natural death,” attributing its failure to the previous Mukul Sangma-led government.
In a statement, HYC president Roykupar Synrem said the comment “is not a political opinion; it is a self-indictment of the present government’s failure.”
He emphasized that a law does not lapse on its own; it either moves forward with legislative intent or is abandoned through executive inaction.
Also Read | India-Bangladesh Border Fencing Must: Meghalaya BJP Leader Wankitbok Pohshna
“The record is clear and undisputed. The MRSS Amendment Bill was introduced in the Assembly in March 2020 under the present Chief Minister. In November 2023, the Bill was returned by the Ministry of Home Affairs for review. From that point onwards, the Government repeatedly assured the public of re-examination, legal consultation, and stakeholder engagement. Yet, despite enjoying a clear majority and ample time, no amendment to the principal Act was ever brought before the House,” Synrem noted.
The HYC president accused the current administration of shifting responsibility to the prior regime, stating, “Legislative defects, if any, could have been rectified at any stage during the MDA’s tenure. The failure to do so is not historical; it is current.”
The youth body also highlighted contradictions in the government’s stance.
“Repeated claims that the Centre had ‘not rejected’ the Bill contrast with the present admission that it has been allowed to lapse. These inconsistent positions reinforce the perception of indecision and lack of seriousness on an issue directly affecting indigenous security and demographic stability.”
Also Read | Meghalaya HC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Water Crisis in Shillong
HYC warned that allowing the Residents’ Safety framework to collapse without a replacement sends a “dangerous signal that the protection of indigenous people is negotiable, postponable, and ultimately expendable.”
The council has demanded clear answers from the government.
“Place on record, without ambiguity, whether it intends to pursue with the Government of India to secure a strong law with enforceable provisions, or whether it has formally abandoned the objective of a statutory entry regulation mechanism altogether. Silence and evasion will only confirm what the Deputy Chief Minister’s statement has already revealed,” Synrem said.
The HYC will pursue the matter through all democratic and constitutional means until the government provides clarity, accountability, and action.