Shillong, Nov 3: The leaders of the ‘Save Hynniewtrep Mission’ , a conglomerate of pressure groups, met Dy CM Prestone Tynsong on Thursday to press for their demands relating to State and Centre.
The leaders included the HYC, HANM, JSM and Confederation of Ri Bhoi People.
The demands include the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP), inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, solution to the long-pending Harijan Colony issue, review of the MoU signed between Meghalaya and Assam in phase I of border talks and the reservation policy.
On the ILP, Robertjune Kharjahrin, the leader of Save Hynniewtrep Mission, said the Deputy CM informed them that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be visiting Shillong very soon and the government will bring forward the long pending issue with the Union Minister.
On Harijan Colony, Kharjahrin said they have suggested the government on the acceptance of the blueprint of the government by the Harijan, but the 342 families should move out from Them Mawlong immediately. They have suggested providing rent allowance to these families so that they can stay somewhere else for the time being, and move into the government quarters once the buildings are completed.
On reservation policy, the NGOs have demanded from the Government to completely revamp and review the policy. If the government feels like it is a sensitive issue and shouldn’t be touched then what’s the point of being in the same state for the Khasi and the Garo people, let the Garos have their own state and the Khasis have their own state, Kharjahrin said.
On the border issue, Kharjahrin said it is due to the delay of the Assam government in constituting the regional committees and the possibilities of fixing the issues of border seems a long way and cannot be done before the election.
