Newmai News Network
Shillong | December 20
The Chairman of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO), Robertjune Kharjahrin has said that apart from the Inner Line Permit (ILP), Meghalaya needs other mechanisms to prevent influx.
“ILP is one measure to protect the indigenous people of the state. But other existing provisions like the Land Transfer Act, Benami Act and Trading by Non Tribal Act should also be strengthened,” Kharjahrin said on Friday after the state assembly passed a resolution to urge the Centre to implement the ILP in Meghalaya yesterday.
He also said that there is a need to revisit the ST Order of 1950, which gives rights for other tribes of the region staying in Meghalaya to buy land and carry out businesses.
On the issue of amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, Kharjahrin said that Para 20 should be changed so that there is no differentiation between tribal and non-tribal areas, since at one point of time the latter belonged to the indigenous people of the state.
On the Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, the CoMSO chairman said that powers should be given to the Governor of the state to notify and direct that any Act of Parliament shall not apply to an autonomous district or an autonomous region in the state.
He also said that the Election Commission of India should notify that people should vote in their place of domicile.
“We also demand that there should be a NRC exercise in the state with a cut off year of 1971,” Kharjahrin said.
Meanwhile, he also said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act should be repealed since it is ‘unconstitutional’ in nature and against the spirit of the Constitution.
Kharjahrin also said that the state government and other political parties in the opposition should follow-up on the resolution passed by the Assembly to put pressure on the Centre to implement ILP in Meghalaya.
