Shillong: The Khasi Students’ Union hit the government with an ultimatum on Tuesday. They want the 2016 Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act in full effect. General secretary Reuben A. Najiar ordered the state to open facilitation centres at Umling and Ratacherra. He also wants all District Task Forces running now. The state has dragged its feet for a decade.
KSU leadership promised to open with talk, but they are ready for a fight. They plan to pressure deputy commissioners to get the task forces moving. The law tracks who comes in and who goes out. It does not block entry. The High Court of Meghalaya has no issue with it. Still, the state lags behind.
Najiar blasted a plan to put a food court at the Umling site. He said, "The government should immediately make the facilitation centres functional." He suspects the government prioritizes profit over security. These centres could help cops catch drug runners and criminals.
The union also pushed for the Inner Line Permit. The state government claimed they got no reply from the Centre on the permit in 2019 and 2020. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs answered the KSU after a direct plea to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Najiar claims this proves the Centre listens to the union more than the state. The KSU maintains the 2016 act must stand until the permit arrives. They dismissed the 2019 amendment as a delay tactic full of confusion.
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