SHILLONG: The General Secretary of the Khasi Students’ Union Central Executive Committee (KSU CEC), Rueben Anderson Najiar, has launched a scathing attack on the Meghalaya state government, accusing it of deliberately undermining institutional mechanisms meant to check illegal immigration.
The union has strongly condemned the government’s proposal to set up a commercial food court at Umling in Ri-Bhoi district, on land originally earmarked for a Facilitation Center (entry/exit point).
Najiar made it clear that while the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) cannot replace the demand for an Inner Line Permit (ILP), it must be fully enforced as an interim protective measure until the central government grants ILP status to the state.
Providing historical context, Najiar recalled that in response to intense public agitations for ILP in 2013, the state government introduced the MRSSA to protect Meghalaya from unregulated influx while the ILP proposal remained pending with the Centre. Though the MRSSA 2016 was not perfect, it provided vital safety mechanisms by tracking entry and residency within the state.
The Act mandated the formation of District Task Forces to monitor influx, but instead of implementing it, the government abruptly introduced the MRSSA Amendment Bill in 2019, purportedly to make the law more stringent. Najiar argued that the 2019 amendment offered no substantial improvements, except for a clause penalizing those who provide false information—a provision already present in existing law.
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The KSU contends that the 2019 amendment was a calculated move by the government to create legal confusion and stall actual implementation. While the amendment remains pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the President of India, the original MRSSA 2016 is being ignored.
Najiar alleged that the government’s tactic was designed to invite confusion and judicial intervention, even though the High Court of Meghalaya has not imposed any restrictions on operating entry/exit facilitation centers. Yet, the government continues to delay their activation.
The union has questioned the administration’s eagerness to construct a food court at a high-security entry point. The KSU firmly dismissed recent statements by the Chief Minister and Tourism Minister that the lack of proper legislation prevents the establishment of functional gates.
Najiar countered that MRSSA 2016 already provides all the necessary legal frameworks for such gates, making the government’s position contradictory. A KSU RTI application revealed discrepancies between the Chief Minister’s public statements and official records, highlighting what the union describes as a lack of political will to protect the state from illegal immigration.
Issuing a stern warning, the KSU has demanded the immediate scrapping of the redundant 2019 amendment and the instant operationalization of MRSSA 2016.
Addressing reports of a government invitation for talks, Najiar stated the union would not attend futile meetings and reiterated that KSU will never accept the conversion of security infrastructure into a food court. The union has demanded that the government proceed immediately with building the entry and exit facilitation center at Umling without further delay.
(4FrontMedia news)
