Special Assembly Session: Meghalaya government to table ILP

On Tuesday, the Meghalaya Cabinet has approved a government resolution on implementation of ILP under the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1873, in the state.

The National People’s Party (NPP)-led government was forced to table the government resolution in the wake of the growing public demand for implementation of ILP in view of the amended Citizenship Act, 1955.

Under the amended Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, people belonging to six religious minorities of Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan escaping religious persecution will be granted Indian citizenship.

In fact, there has been violent protest in the state following the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in both the Houses of the parliament as well after the lone NPP Lok Sabha member Agatha Sangma had supported the contentious Bill.

State’s Assembly Commissioner and Secretary, Andrew Simons said that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will introduce a government resolution on the floor of the House demanding the central government to implement ILP in the state.

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who chaired the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, said that a delegation of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government led by him to Union Home Minister Amit Shah has demanded that the ILP be implemented in Meghalaya.

“We (state government) are very firm in this regard. We informed the Union Home Minister that we would be going ahead with the resolution. All these steps have been a positive response,” Sangma said.

Asked whether the government is prioritising ILP or the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 that seeks registration of people from outside who visit Meghalaya, the Chief Minister said, “The state government at the moment is moving for the resolution to urge the central government to implement ILP.”

The opposition Congress, which had opposed the implementation of ILP in the State when it was at the seat of power, in the State despite a series of violent protest, is also now supporting to bring the State under the permit system to prevent illegal immigrants who might enter taking advantage of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

“Yes we need to implement ILP in the State. The ILP has become relevant in view of the people who are policy makers in Delhi. The MRSSA should also implement alongside with ILP. The MRSSA has been designed to supplement ILP,” Opposition Congress leader, Dr Mukul Sangma said.

Mukul, however, said that the Congress party would continue to to hold protests across the state against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 to force the government to stop its implementation.