Tura, Edc 11: The GSU particularly feels sad that our MP said that she extends her support to CAB. We feel betrayed. Atleast she should have stuck to the CM’s stand not to pass CAB in the LS. Exemption of 6th scheduled areas of Meghalaya is not enough.
The State is facing real problems of influx and have been reeling from infiltration of foreigners. What will happen to Garo Hills after 50 years is the problem if certain concrete measures are not structured to contain influx and detrimental steps are put in step to stop infiltration.
The CAB is directly helping foreigners to gain citizenship which has broader implications for the indigenous peoples of NE. We are facing crisis on an extinction level as indigenous peoples of NE. Smt Agatha Sangma must now talk with the Union Home Minister to include Meghalaya under ILP.
The GSU President Mr Tengsak G Momin personally feel that we must once again continue our fight for ILP. Facilitation centres are not yet ready despite years of verbal assurance. Labour Department of Tura is saying that ISMWP is to facilitate labourers from outside not check them as agreed by state govt and civil societies, ngos and student unions.
The ISMWP was to make sure that labourers from outside will have to register in the labour office and renew it before the passage of 180 days so that the outsiders do not become voting citizens of the state.
The Benami Transaction Act is almost useless. MMRSSA must have stricter rules for outsiders just simply relying on rhetorics about the act having similar rules like ILP is not helpful. All of this acts were supposed to be a comprehensive mechanism to deter influx and infiltration but it has been 6 years now and nothing concrete has come out of it.
The GSU president remaind that they have never said we have stopped demanding for ILP. The demand for ILP continues only that we were considering the govt’s proposal for comprehensive mechanism to check infiltration and influx which was the state govt’s promise.
The passing of CAB must be counteracted by strong infiltration acts and rules in the state and Smt Agatha Sangma must strongly with determination push for inclusion of Meghalaya under ILP. She must do this as a saving grace and the state govt must pass the ILP in the state assembly and push the Centre for it when the iron is hot.
The GSU will still fight and oppose CAB. CAB is un sympathetic to the plight of the indigenous peoples of NE and similar to what Sardar Patel said to respected Gopinath Bordorloi then CM of Assam in the lines of ” importance must be given to the settlement of refugees against the sentiments of indigenous people” and helped settle the refugees in Railway lands in Assam in 1949-50.
So GSU will always oppose CAB and is ready for more agitation programmes. They wish Smt Agatha Sangma had opposed CAB completely in the LS or altleast asked for ILP in Meghalaya.
ILP was easily extended to Manipur by Amit Shah so it is possibly to extend ILP for the whole of NE. NESO has been asking for implementation of ILP in NE. Centre must respect the demands of NESO and its component organisations.
