GUWAHATI, 27 Jul: The influential Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) in a joint statement on Saturday sought to allay fears among people visiting Meghalaya after pro-ILP activists stopped tourists from visiting certain areas of the state.
The two unions maintained that both the states are being “plagued with the same problem of infiltration,” and the KSU and the AASU have supported each other in their “quest for survival and protection” of the indigenous people.
Tourist inflow to Sohra and Dawki in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya was briefly affected on Friday when pro-ILP activists belonging to the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) tried to prevent some tourists coming from Assam from visiting these places.
There were reports that similar problems were faced by tourists on Saturday as well, although local authorities promptly intervened and did not allow the situation to escalate.
At least 10 members of the HNYF were arrested in Umtyngar town on Friday for preventing tourists from visiting Sohra and Dawki without authorisation, police said.
The HNYF is seeking implementation of the inner line permit (ILP) regime in the state, with its president Sadon Blah saying that the group has called for such an action to force the government to implement a policy restricting the movement of tourist vehicles coming from outside the state.
The joint statement of the KSU and the AASU, issued after a discussion under the aegis of the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), was shared by NESO chief adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya on X.
“Tourists and the tourist vehicles ferrying tourists from Assam should come to Meghalaya without any fear, worry or agony – Khasi Students Union (KSU), All Assam Students Union (AASU) and North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) on the issue of refusing entry of Assam registered cars in Meghalaya,” he wrote.
In the statement signed by the presidents and the general secretaries of both the bodies, the KSU claimed that it is not “aware of any such incident of stopping vehicles from Assam and it firmly does not conform to any such initiative.”
Maintaining that tourists and their vehicles should come without any concern, the KSU said that it is “pertinent for both the governments of Assam and Meghalaya to have thorough dialogue on the issue and solve the same permanently.”
It urged the tourist taxi associations to maintain cordial relations and a spirit of common understanding.
The two students’ bodies maintained that it has been their constant endeavour to strengthen friendly relations among the people as “both states are being plagued with the same problem of infiltration of illegal foreigners.”
“AASU and KSU have always supported each other in their quest for survival and protection of indigenous Assamese and Khasis since time immemorial in both the states. We are committed to continue this affirmative effort,” the statement added.(PTI)