Noting that Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security (Amendment) Act (MRSSA) as “harmless”, Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik said that has tried to convince Home Minister Amit Shah to give his consent to the Act.
The MRSSA is aimed at to enhance security, vetting of tenants and ensure safety and security of citizens by preventing anti-social elements from gaining shelter in the state which might be detrimental to peace and tranquility to maintain public order and peace in the State.
“I tried to convince him (Home Minister) that this (MRSSA)is harmless and it will take care of the things which are already being taken care of by the Tourism App and therefore it should be given consent,” Malik said.
The MRSSA has not received the Governor’s assent so far since the time former Governor Tathagata Roy was in office. Roy had said that there are certain problems on implementing the MRSSA as there are clashes with other central laws. “The Home Minister (Amit Shah) has informed that he would first hold discussions with the ChiefMinister ( Conrad Sangma) and then take a decision,” Malik said.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who is scheduled to leave for New Delhi on February 7 to meet the Home Minister, had met Malik on Thursday evening to discuss the issue. “The Chief Minister had met me and I had advised him that he should first plead for the MRSSA. The Inner Line Permit (ILP) comes afterward. If MRSSA is passed a lot of things will be taken care of,” Malik said.
On the growing demand of the British-era ILP in Meghalaya, the Governor said, “Apart from pressure groups nobody is asking for it. Local leaders should think about whether the implementation of the permit isgoing to benefit the State or not.”
Malik however cautioned the pressure groups to place their demand for implementation of ILP in a “peaceful way” and not to threaten the government or people. “Kashmir has done it (threaten) and they have lost their Statehood, lost their Constitution, lost their flag and got nothing. 50000people were killed. So by confrontation you will not reach anywhere,” the former Jammu and Kashmir Governor said
In fact, the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on December 19, 2019 had adopted a unanimous resolution urging the Central Government to include Meghalaya under the purview of Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873 and implement ILP.
ILP is a British-era regulation designed to preserve ethnicity and culture of the Northeastern tribals. It required all Indian citizens, not usually residents of the area, to secure a special permit for entering the border states and regions of the North-East.
The regulation designed to preserve ethnicity and culture of the north eastern tribals, required all Indian citizens not usually residents of the area to secure a special permit for entering the border states and regions of the northeast.
The permit system is still in force in Nagaland as well as Mizoram as well Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.
