Meghalaya deputy CM to hold talks with pressure groups leaders, to discuss nine-point charter of demands

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong informed that the state government will meet the pressure groups leaders in his official chamber at Secretariat Building, Shillong on November 3.

“I will be meeting them and I reiterate that our door is always open in the secretariat,” Tynsong told reporters.

This came days after activists of the five pressure groups had staged a surprise march to the Secretariat defying section 144 CrPC while responding to Tynsong’s appeal to demand the state government to fulfil the nine-point charter of demands that include implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.

They had also expressed that it was a waste of time meeting the home minister Lahkmen Rymbui since he could not give them any assurance on the issues.

“We are here to discuss any issue and I hope we will have a constructive discussion with the NGOs,” Tynsong said, adding that he would comment on the issue of ILP after the meeting tomorrow.

The five pressure groups - HYC, HANM, JSM, EJNC and CORP  - are also demanding the immediately relocate of the Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong, to review the MoU signed under the first phase of border talks with Assam, to punish the police officials involved in the killing of ex-HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew, action against people involved in the various scams, resolving unemployment crisis, reviewing of the office memorandum on job recruitment at the district level and repealing of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act (MRGA), 2021.

On the violation of section 144 CrPC, the deputy chief minister said, “I request that all should respect the law and when we talk about law, the law enforcing agency will have to take necessary action,” while assuring “We will try our best to ensure law and order is under control and nobody takes law in their own hand.”

Tynsong further denied the allegation made by the opposition that law and order in the state are deteriorating by saying arrests have been made against the perpetrators of the violent incident during the FKJGP’s rally over unemployment.

Stating that NGO leaders are responsible citizens, who are also serving the people of the state, he said, “I appeal and I request all concerns to abide by the law. We should abide by the rules which are already in place throughout the state.”

With regards to the allegation that the government is too soft in handling the law and order situation in the state, the deputy chief minister however said the MDA government is the only government which has been accessible to the people of the state.

“This is the only government that inspite of the fact that the challenges we faced right from 2018 till today it was too much but you have never seen any unfortunate incident that has happened so people thought that we are boneless we are weak but if you ask even the NGOs will say that this is the only government who is approachable and accessible to any issue relating to the interest of the public in the state,” he said.

Asked if the protests are politically motivated in view of the upcoming 2023 assembly elections, Tynsong, however, said, “For that, I have no comment I don’t know whether it is politically motivated or not let the people judge if it is so people will judge people will understand but as of now I have no comment on that question as I said to you because personally, I am taking that they are concern and government is also a concern so we will sit down work out how to proceed further and to make sure law and order in the state prevail at any cost.”