The United Democratic Party (UDP), a coalition partner of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), on Thursday said the Citizenship Amendment Act is a wake up call for all states in the north east to act against illegal immigration from neighbouring countries and influx of non-indigenous people.
The UDP executive met here and debated at length on the issue of CAA and the Inner Line Permit, according to its general secretary Jemino Mawthoh.
He said the UDP opposed the CAA in principle. We are opposing it because we dont see any rationale here. Let us wait for the wisdom of the Supreme Court to make its interpretation in this regard.
When CAA was passed, it was a wakeup call for the states of NE and for the people of Meghalaya. Although this issue is a common one for the North East and the Centres approach is fragmented, all the states in the region must work together to find a solution against illegal immigration from the neighbouring countries and influx of non-indigenous people, Mawthoh told journalists after the meeting.
He said, We have been battling the issues of influx and illegal immigration for the last four decades now. This is the right time for the North East states to come up with something which is oncrete for the protection and safeguard of the indigenous people.
While 97 per cent of Meghlaya is exempted (scheduled areas) from the purview of the CAA, the MDA had pressed for total exemption of the entire state from the purview of the Act.
The MDA had adopted a resolution last month to urge the Centre to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system after it was announced for Manipur to protect the indigenous people of the state.