Pro-ILP activists in Meghalaya have installed another check gate in the eastern part of East Jaintia Hills district, aiming to restrict the entry of “outsiders” into the hill State.
According to a senior district official, the gate was set up without authorisation from the administration, marking the third such structure constructed by activists, primarily from the influential Khasi Students Union (KSU). These activists advocate for increased police vigilance at anti-infiltration check gates and seek the implementation of an Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Meghalaya.
The ILP mandates a special permit for residents from other parts of Bharat to enter and reside in States like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur.
“We have set up a gate at Umkiang to check outsiders’ entry into the State,” stated a senior district leader.
In 2019, the Meghalaya Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to consider implementing ILP in the State, pending government approval.
Citing concerns over significant influx in recent years, a KSU leader asserted their responsibility in monitoring and controlling outsider arrivals. Previously, similar gates were erected at Pahammawlein in Ri-Bhoi district and Athiabari in West Khasi Hills.
Despite existing check gates, KSU reported uncovering more than 500 unregistered migrant labourers attempting to enter the state illegally. Recently, a pro-ILP activist in Shillong was arrested for inspecting documents of migrant labourers without proper authorisation.
KSU members in Khasi Jaintia Hills region claimed to have expelled over 500 migrant labourers within the past fortnight, highlighting their efforts to regulate demographic movements in the State.
