Shillong, Sept 25: After a lapse of more than two years, PBM Basaiawmoit a political activist turned preacher turned politician, has reappeared to partake in the present imbroglio over the Inner Line Permit by writing to Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma expressing his desire to ‘break the impasse’ between the State Government and a few Civil Society Organizations.
In his letter to the Chief Minister, Basaiawmoit said he is approaching through writing after a few ‘friends and well wishers suggested it’ to him for “breaking the present impasse existing between the State Government (SG) and a few Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), I thought it best to pen down a few of my thoughts on the matter and bring to your notice for consideration in the better interest of the people of the State.”
Basaiawmoit introduced himself as having had a working relationship with late chief ministers of the state including Mr DD Pugh, Captain Williamson A Sangma, BB Lyngdoh, Dr FA Khonglam and former chief ministers Purno A Sangma and Dr DD Lapang.
The letter which Basaiawmoit sent to the Chief Minister by email as well as by hand pointed out that although the Chief Minister is “intent on not making any lee way for the CSOs to gain an upper hand by categorically stating that you and your Government will not accept implementation of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Inner Line Regulation (BEFILR) 1873 for some reason or the other and that the Ordinance on Tenancy is a much more effective law to prevent outsiders creating a demographic imbalance and other related concerns,” the Ordinance is not yet in the public purview, and one cannot comment on its merits and demerits, so “we are compelled to go by your statement of its advantages over the BEFILR.”
Basaiawmoitat said that at the height of the agitation against illegal influx of foreign nationals, way back in 1979, as a political functionary then he had subscribed to the setting up of the Foreign National Tribunal and of the Anti-Infiltration Cell by the United Meghalaya Peoples Democratic Forum (UMPDF) Government led by Late BB Lyngdoh.
“And at that time, during our periodical review meetings, we had found out that there were some holes to be plugged and it needed total co-operation of the people and the various institutions, particularly, traditional institutions to make both of them effective,” the letter read.
“My sharing the above is simply to state that laws are good in themselves but as they are human made, can be relative, have plenty of room for improvement over periodical review,” the letter concluded, that “implementation mechanism has to be fool proof and those, on the spot, have to be free from the temptation of allowing their palms to be greased.”(SP News)
