Shillong, Nov 20: As an embarrassment for the six member ministerial committee which was set up to take views and suggestion from the concern citizen of the state during the first meeting of the ministerial committee to deliberate on the draft Meghalaya Regulation of Landlords and Verification of Tenants Bill, some angry students today tore copies of the draft Meghalaya Regulation of Landlords and Verification of Tenancy Bill.
The meeting turned violent in such a way that a group of students even threw food packets towards the dais where the members of the ministerial team were seated.
The draft Meghalaya Regulation of Landlords and Verification of Tenancy Bill, 2013 aimed to contain influx in the state, during a public consultation organised by state government. Students from various colleges in the state capital and from the North Eastern Hills University (NEHU) walked out of the U Soso Tham Auditorium against the Bill, which they alleged was full of “flaws”.
The consultation chaired by Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong aimed at getting views and suggestion for tightening the noose on immigration of outsiders into the state. “We don’t want this Bill be implemented, as it does not really look into the issues on how to tackle influx. If the government is serious about the issue, it should instead draft a bill that speaks about influx,” Robert Kharjarin, a law graduate from NEHU, said.
The group of students were not at all happy with the replies of the Committee on the various questioned that were posed by the students and they finally staged a walk out of the auditorium amidst shouting of slogans in support of ILP and tearing of the copies of Acts.
Later, speaking to media persons, the chairman of the Committee Prestone Tynsong claimed that the committee is satisfied with the first meeting.
Reacting to a query about the strong resistance of students to the Act, the minister said that the consultation started today and there is a long way to go as Government will have meetings with other groups of people as well.
The member of the committee Ronnie V Lyngdoh also said that the Government has provided platform to individuals to express their views and Government has to take views of other sections of people as well.
“If some people do not want to participate in the meeting then how can we force them,” Lyngdoh added.
Chiefs of traditional bodies in several parts of the state have already expressed their opposition to the Bill, and boycotted the consultations held previously. Two persons were killed and another is battling for life at a hospital in anti-government attacks across the state since 3 September.
Property worth Rs 50 crore was also damaged in violence. Over 75 pro-Inner Line Permit activists have been arrested and the government has lodged a compensation suit in a special court for recovery of the losses incurred due to the anti-government protests.(SP News)
