Meghalaya is one of the favourite tourist destinations of people visiting the region. From the region itself, many visit the state to seek relief from the scorching heat of Assam and adjoining plains. Last month, we had explained the redundancy of an Inner Line Permit like mechanism. In less than a month, however, the government of Meghalaya has surreptitiously brought in a similar mechanism in place.
According to the Meghalaya Resident’s Safety and Security Act 2019, all visitors willing to enter the state and spend more than twenty four hours here would be liable to register themselves with the government. This Act was in place from 2016 in the state, according to which all tenants living in rented houses were compulsorily made to register themselves with the Dorbar Shnongs, or the area headman’s office.
Although a working session of the Assembly is currently not in place in the state, the government has brought in an ordinance to amend the Act and give it more teeth. The registration of individuals wishing to spend more than twenty four hours in the state would be done online, as well as at various booths which will be set up across the border roads.
The pressure groups of the state have for long been wrecking havoc in order to get ILP implemented here. An ILP like mechanism requires the nod of the Central government, as we already explained last month. That the Modi government would not oblige to such demands is no secret. It is yet to be seen how the Central leadership responds to this move of the Meghalaya government to curb ‘illegal immigration’. Not only will it impact tourism, but it will also act as an impediment to PM Modi’s ‘Act East Policy’. It has been PM Modi’s dream to transform Northeast India into a gateway for Southeast Asia.
It is noteworthy that the terms ‘illegal immigration’ and ‘influx’ have no clear definitions in the state, and are almost used interchangeably at times. While illegal immigration concerns Bangladeshis getting into the state illegally, the term ‘influx’ is usually brought in use to describe all Indians. The aim of such a mechanism would have little to do with curbing illegal immigration, but it would surely come in handy for the state machinery and pressure groups to harass ‘outsiders’. Although the Indian constitution recognizes the right of all Indians to freely move about anywhere they deem fit within the country, such mechanisms are bound to infringe upon this right of many Indians visiting the state.
For a person who has travelled from some corner of India, or the world, it is only expected of them to spend more than twenty four hours here in the state. As such, they would have to register themselves. It is a proven fact that restrictions to movement of people adversely impact tourism opportunities of the region. Although the Conrad Sangma led government is a keen advocate of tourism growth in the state, how such a move has been brought into place is something at least I cannot comprehend. There is no lack of pressure groups in the state. What guarantee does the government have to offer to the people that they will not be harassed and asked to show documents to just anyone on the streets? Notably, the BJP is also a part of the government here. Did their conscience and ideology go for a toss when the Meghalaya cabinet passed this ordinance?
Such a move is bound to disappoint the unofficial working class. For example, labourers who travel back and forth frequently would have to register themselves every time they enter Meghalaya. That the people here love to have their palatial houses built by labourers from Bihar and UP is not a secret. As such, the infrastructural work will also take a hit as labourers will now look for alternate places to work in.
According to a report in ThePrint, Meghalaya Home Minister James Sangma said, “There has been unease among the public regarding the illegal influx and a demand was raised for a system such as the ILP. We wanted to ensure these concerns were addressed and hence have amended the earlier Act.”
Although the government and the pressure groups have said that the move is to ensure a check on illegal immigration, there have been genuine concerns among the non-tribal population that they have been targeted unfairly for decades.
Last week, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council had carried out eviction drives against non-tribal hawkers from several areas of the state capital Shillong. The reason given was the hawkers did not posses trading license as per United-Khasi Jaintia Hills (Trading by Non-Tribals) Regulation, 1954.
Earlier, there have been numerous instances of non-tribals coming under attack from various ‘miscreants’.
As has been mentioned already, this move is purely brought in place to stop the flow of non-indigenous people into the state. The government has claimed that this is for the security of both the residents of the state, and also those visiting it. But pray tell me, what is so special about Meghalaya that visitors would require the government to look into their security only because they are visiting the state? If not anything else, the government should have come up with a better excuse, rather than this load of bunkum to validate their draconian move.