Amit Shah's visit to Meghalaya: ILP on pressure groups' priority list
While it has remained a long pending issue in the state, various stakeholders have framed different narratives on the ILP demand, and with Union Home Minister Amit Shah's upcoming visit to the state, ILP is one of the main agendas in the discussion.
SHILLONG:
The demand for Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya has been a controversial discourse, with different sections of the society holding different views about its implementation.
While it has remained a long pending issue in the state, various stakeholders have framed different narratives on the ILP demand, and with Union Home Minister Amit Shah's upcoming visit to the state, ILP is one of the main agendas in the discussion.
The previous visit of the Home Minister did not see any discussion on the subject and, NGOs are hoping that this time, the same would materialise.
With the highly anticipated visit of the Union Home Minister around the corner, the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) has expressed optimism that the centre will pay heed to the demand for implementation of ILP in Meghalaya.
KSU president Lambokstar Marngar said the union is putting up two demands -- ILP implementation and inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The KSU has been demanding the implementation of the ILP since 1985 and many of its members have been jailed during the process with cases pending against them.
Various political and pressure groups in the state have also raised this issue in the past; however, the movement remained unaddressed to date.
Conflicting views over the matter remains a subject of discussion between the government, pressure groups and the centre.
Stakeholders hope that with Shah's visit this time, they would be able to reach a common consensus on the matter.
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