Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) protests CAA, demands ILP in State

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The Mawryngkneng circle along with the Diengpasoh unit of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) held a rally at Smit to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

Speaking at the rally, KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah said that through the CAA the Central government wants to settle minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan in the region.

Pointing out that "Meghalaya shares around 443 km of border with Bangladesh", Thabah expressed his concern saying "it was certain that these minorities if they come will settle in the hills of the State."

Stating that since 1987, the KSU has been demanding the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya, Thabah demanded that the State government must ensure that the State gets ILP as resolved by the Meghalaya Assembly on December 19, 2019.

“We should get ILP because we have seen that there was no difficulty in implementing the provision in Manipur,” Thabah said.

The KSU leader also said that the Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty, 1950 has seen many people from that country coming into the State; many of whom have settled in Shillong and the border areas of the State. Thabah also rued the fact that after the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, the Central government then never consulted the stakeholders of the State before allowing refugees to settle in Meghalaya.

“The settlement of these people from Bangladesh has affected the situation in the State; and now many indigenous people have been alienated from their lands, they have lost their economy and also political rights,” the KSU general secretary observed.

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