Shillong : Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking stronger measures to tackle illegal immigration into Meghalaya, including the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), Presidential assent to the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
In the memorandum submitted during Shah’s visit to Shillong, Sangma said the Meghalaya Government has consistently felt the need to strengthen security mechanisms to safeguard the interests of the indigenous population and protect the state from the impact of illegal immigration.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution on December 19, 2019, demanding the implementation of ILP under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, shortly after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 came into force.
According to the memorandum, although Sixth Schedule areas are exempted from the provisions of the CAA, the exemption alone is not sufficient to fully protect the interests and rights of Meghalaya’s tribal communities.
Sangma urged the Centre to extend ILP to Meghalaya, similar to the protection granted to neighbouring Manipur, in order to strengthen safeguards for indigenous and tribal populations.
The Chief Minister also requested a review of the Centre’s position on the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The proposed legislation requires individuals staying in the state for more than 48 hours to provide their details through a digital registration system, while exempting permanent residents, MPs, MLAs and government employees.
The memorandum stated that the purpose of the legislation is to improve security vetting of tenants and prevent anti-social elements from using the state as a shelter, thereby ensuring the safety and security of citizens.
Although the Bill was passed by the Meghalaya Assembly in March 2020, it remains pending after being reserved by the Governor for Presidential assent. The Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier raised concerns regarding its constitutional validity and legislative competence.
Sangma, however, maintained that the proposed law falls within the powers of the state legislature and does not violate any fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
On the language issue, the Chief Minister reiterated Meghalaya’s longstanding demand for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. He noted that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly had passed a unanimous resolution in November 2018, which was subsequently forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The memorandum highlighted that Khasi and Garo are the most widely spoken languages in Meghalaya and yet no language from the state has been included in the Eighth Schedule so far.
Sangma said recognition under the Eighth Schedule would provide several benefits, including Sahitya Akademi recognition, dedicated funding for language development, enhanced employment opportunities, and inclusion of the languages in UPSC examinations.
He further stated that both Khasi and Garo satisfy the criteria generally considered for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule and pointed out that the two languages were recently granted official language status under the Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026.
The Chief Minister urged the Union Government to positively consider the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule, describing it as an important step towards preserving and promoting Meghalaya’s linguistic and cultural heritage.