Shillong: "No ILP No Rest" echoed the streets of Shillong city on December 30 as over eight thousand members of pressure groups under the umbrella of Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisation (CoMSO) marched from Shillong polytechnic till Motphran carrying torchlight pressing for their demand for Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya while commemorating the 158th death anniversary of the legendary freedom fighter, Woh Kiang Nongbah.
The light of the thousand torch lights illuminated on the faces of the agitated members of CoMSO as they shouted slogans and waved their flags as they rallied through the narrow lanes and streets.
Soon the crowd had reached Motphran parking lot where the leaders took turns to address the gathering on the need for ILP as soon as possible.
CoMSO Secretary Roy Kupar Synrem had said, "We are commemorating the 158 death anniversary of Who Kiang Nongbah who was a freedom fighter of hynnietrwep people hailing from Jaintia Hills and at the same time we wanted to carry out this torch rally to show our displeasure with the adamant attitude of the central government on our demand for ILP."
Recalling that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had recently mentioned in his speech at Manipur that the Manipur had not asked for ILP but the Prime Minister had given it to them, Roy had questioned, "We want to ask the NDA government why is this step-motherly attitude towards the people of Meghalaya".
He further said, "We have been asking for ILP since a long time ago and this is not the first time and officially the state assembly unanimously had passed the resolution impressing upon the central government that it is high time now that Meghalaya should get ILP."
For several years, people of Meghalaya have been demanding for the enactment of ILP, to protect the interests of the indigenous communities of the hill state. The protestors had demanded that the ILP be implemented in Meghalaya after the Union government had granted ILP to Manipur.