Meghalaya government waiting for Centre's approval for Inner Line Permit

Amidst the growing demand for Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the state government is waiting for the Centre's response to the resolution passed in the state assembly.

Speaking to the media, Meghalaya CM said, "The ILP has always been there on the government's agenda and for which a resolution has been passed in the state assembly and sent to the Union Home Ministry and we are waiting".

Earlier on November 1, Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM) leader Lamphang Kharbani warned that the failure of Centre and state governments to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) may lead to militancy raising its ugly head again in Meghalaya.

“The state will no doubt witness the rise of militancy in Meghalaya if the Centre and state governments remain adamant in their attitude towards the demand for ILP and also the inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India,” Kharbani said while addressing at a meeting held following the protest march by five pressure groups to the secretariat.

He also said this would not only affect the development but it will have a negative impact on the peace and tranquillity of the state.

“Therefore, if the central government thinks that Meghalaya is under India, it should not hesitate to approve the demand for ILP just like it did to other states like Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram,” he added.

On the other hand, protesters from five pressure groups marched to the Secretariat on Tuesday, November 1, in defiance of section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which forbids gatherings of more than five people, in protest of the state government's refusal to respond to the nine-point charter of demands, which includes the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.