india

Updated: Dec 20, 2019 16:18 IST

The Meghalaya Assembly passed a unanimous resolution for implementation of inner line permit regime in the state on Thursday amid demands and protests by local groups. In neighbouring Assam, protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) continued and mobile internet services remained blocked throughout the state on Thursday, even as the Gauhati High Court directed the state government to lift curbs.

“We have passed a unanimous resolution today for implementation of ILP, like they did to Manipur. We will now impress upon the Centre to consider the implementation of ILP in Meghalaya,” said Prestone Tynsong, Deputy Chief Minister, Meghalaya.

The resolution was passed in a special session of the Meghalaya Assembly called today amid demands of ILP in the state which became louder after the CAA was passed by Parliament. Most of Meghalaya comes under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, hence, exempted from the CAA.

“The state needs ILP. Our concern is brothers and sisters from outside. We are such a small population of tribals just a little over 32 lakh in all. We want the people to come from outside but with knowledge of the government,” said Tynsong adding that the state government will simplify things in the rules once the ILP regimes is approved by the Centre.

In November, the state Cabinet passed an ordinance amending the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016, which would require visitors to register, akin to an ILP regime.

“The Ordinance is still lying with governor. Leave it aside,” Tynsong said amid confusion on the fate of the amendment.

Meanwhile, Robert June Kharjharin, Chairman of CoMSO, an umbrella body demanding ILP welcomed the move.

“ILP will regulate entry of foreigners. It will also ensure that we are exempted in CAA . We are happy. We appeal to the union government to implement ILP,” Kharjharin said.

An official said mobile internet services remained blocked in Meghalaya till 5pm on Friday even as curfew which was clamped in parts of Shillong was relaxed for 13 hours on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in Assam, mobile internet services remained blocked despite the Gauhati High Court, hearing a clutch of PILs, directing the state government to lift curbs by 5pm on Thursday.

Assam has been protesting the CAA for a different reason: groups fear that the newly-amended law would lead to an influx of migrants into the state thus disrupting its ethnic fabric -- something which has been at the centre of a decades-long agitation that was resolved in the 1980s. However, several students groups in northeastern states have released a statement in support of the students of Jamia Millia Islamia, who were detained and reportedly assaulted police on December 15.

A bench of Justices Manojit Bhuyan and Saumitra Saikia directed that mobile Internet services should be restored even as it said that the state government was free to “take steps to curb and stop dissemination of explosive messages and videos on various social media platforms which may have a tendency to incite violence…”

An official with direct knowledge of the proceeding of the court said that the bench did not take into account a report of the Intelligence Bureau.

As violent protests raged in the state, mobile internet services were banned on December 11 in select districts. The ban was subsequently extended to all of Assam.

Meanwhile, as protests continued the state unit of the Congress held demonstrations across Assam against the CAA.

“We demand the repeal of CAA. From day one, since CAB was brought, Congress has been fighting tooth and nail and will continue to fight till BJP repeals it,” Ripun Bora, president of the state unit of the Congress and an MP said.

At a protest in Guwahati, the All Assam Students Union announced a week long protest calendar starting December 21.

With big anti-CAA demonstrations especially in Upper Assam, a delegation of 15 BJP MLAs met chief minister Sarbanada Sonowal and urged him to take immediate steps.

“We asked the chief minister for expediting the proceedings of the clause 6 committee on constitutional safeguards and immediate implementation of its recommendations. It should have been done before the CAA was passed,” said Padma Hazarika, one of the MLAs who met the chief minister.

“If we give immediate concessions, it will help dilute the agitation,” said Prasanta Phukan, a second MLA who was also part of the delegation.

“CM should go to Delhi and discuss the matter and save our life and save the people of Assam,” said Phukan who faced attack on his residence last week. “Third party and anti social elements damaged my house and two vehicles,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Manipur’s capital Imphal, a 12-hour general strike call given by the Left disrupted normal life.

In Tripura, anti-CAA protests were held by the Left Front in Agartala.

“India is a secular country. But the central government is trying to divide the country along ethnic lines, which is unconstitutional and anti-people. And if the Centre wants to provide a place to refugees from foreign countries, then all refugees, irrespective of caste and religion, should be accepted. Moreover, the Northeast is saturated already and we have been demanding that the region be kept out of this Act,” said CPM veteran leader, Pabitra Kar.

CPM’s indigenous wing, Tripura Upajati Gana Mukti Parishad has filed a petition against this Act in the Supreme Court (SC). In Tripura’s Belonia, two cops sustained injuries after some unidentified miscreants pelted stones at CPM’s rally. Police said they are investigating the matter.

In Mizoram, to extend their solidarity to the nation-wide students’ agitations, over 500 students donned in black-attire on Wednesday organised sit-in demonstrations at the Mizoram University campus park. Organised by the Mizoram University Students’ Council (MUSC), professors, teaching faculties and other employees of the Mizoram University participated in the day-long protest programme.

MUSC President Xavier Lalruatkima and Mizoram University Teachers Association Secretary K. C. Malsamzauva in their addresses before the gathering strongly condemned the Delhi police actions on the students.

“We demand justice for our student fraternity in the Jamia Millia Islamia University,” MUSC President said.

(With inputs from Priyanka Deb Barman in Agartala, Sobhapati Samom in Imphal and agencies)