Letter from the Editor-in-Chief
Dear friends
All is not well in Meghalaya.A conglomeration of NGOs is demanding the implementation of the Inner Line Permit in Meghalaya in line with Arunachal Pradesh,Nagaland and Mizoram.The demand is based on the assumption that inflow of foreign immigrants into Meghalaya,particularly from Bangladesh,is threatening the culture of the indigenous people and the demography of the state and hence must be stopped.The panacea according to them is the ILP.The government on the other hand has outright rejected the idea of implementing the ILP as they believe that a law created in the 18th century is outdated and fails to serve its purpose in the present day and age.Rather they believe that a tough tenancy law is the way to go in addressing the issues of influx and illegal migration into the state.The Chief Minister of the state Dr.Mukul Sangma has said that,apart from other measures initiated by the state government,a draft bill of the Meghalaya Regulation of Landlords and Tenants Verification Act has been finished and is currently undergoing a few minor cosmetic chances after which it will be notified for inputs from the general public.This,according to him,will take a little time,time which the agitating NGOs are not willing to give the government.This has resulted in a stalemate wherein neither side is willing to take a step back.
Whether or not the ILP should be implemented in Meghalaya is an issue that needs to be debated upon not only in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly but also by the learned members of civil society.The stalemate that we are currently witnessing does not bode well for anyone and a solution to this burning issue must come about.In a situation where neither side is relenting,it is the voice of the people which should ring the loudest and a decision made by the people should be upheld by both warring sides.If the people should opt for the implementation of the ILP in the state,considering that the ILP will need to be modified to suit the needs and ground conditions of Meghalaya,the state government should initiate steps for such modifications to be made by the Union Government under whose purview such alterations will fall.On the other hand,should the people opt out of the implementation of the ILP,the NGOs should back down and wait for the initiatives of the state government to curb influx and illegal migration to take effect.Whatever may be the decision,this matter has to be brought to a close as it is the common man and the poor and needy who are suffering as a result of this impasse.
The ongoing agitation has severely affected the normalcy of the state and there is a palpable fear psychosis among the religious minority community of Shillong.
The issue of the ILP has been an issue which has time and again been raised in Meghalaya through the years.Eastern Panorama’s cover story this month focuses on this burning issue which is gripping the state and destabilizing the administration,because of which,development hits a roadblock and the whole state suffers.The time has come for a conclusive decision on the issue.Our cover story this month written by Associate Editor Daniel Nampui provides some food for thought.This is an issue that has too often been the cause of conflict and needs to be handled once and for all for the betterment of the whole state and its people.