Meghalaya Student Union Drives Out Migrant Workers: ILP Controversy Heats Up

An influential student union in Meghalaya has reportedly driven out around 2,500 migrant workers in the past 12 days for lacking mandatory state labour department registration. The Khasi Students Union, advocating for the Inner Line Permit to control outsider influx, has faced legal challenges for unauthorized checks on workers.

An influential student union in Meghalaya claimed that pro-ILP activists have driven out around 2,500 migrant workers in the past 12 days, who were found working in the Khasi Jaintia Hills region ''without mandatory registration'' of the state labour department.

Khasi Students Union is one of the pro-Inner Line Permit organisations that have been demanding the implementation of the ILP in Meghalaya to ''check the influx of outsiders''.

Khasi Students Union leader Lambokstar Marngar said, ''Over 2,500 migrant workers have been found working without valid documents in the 12 days. The question also arises whether they are Indian citizens or not.'' Marngar, who attended the 189th death anniversary of Khasi freedom fighter U Tirot Sing Syiem on Wednesday, demanded an announcement from the state government on whether any case has been registered against illegal migrants.

The state government has made it compulsory for migrant labourers to mandatorily register with the Labour Department under the Interstate Workmen Act 1979 and the Meghalaya Identification, Registration (Safety & Security) of Migrant Workers Rules 2020.

However, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma recently clarified that although mandatory registration was required for all migrant labourers, no individual or organisation was authorised to check the papers of such workers.

Several cases have also been filed against leaders of the KSU for conducting unauthorised checks on migrant labourers at construction sites, an official said. Pro-ILP activists in Meghalaya on Monday erected a check gate in the eastern part of the East Jaintia Hills district connecting Assam to prevent the entry of "outsiders" into the hill state.

The ILP is a special permit required by residents of other parts of the country to enter and stay for a specified period in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur.

The Meghalaya assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to consider extending the implementation of the ILP in Meghalaya in 2019, and it is awaiting the government's nod.

(With inputs from agencies.)