Meghalaya CM Meets Amit Shah to Push for Language Recognition, ILP Implementation

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma met Union Home Affairs and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss pressing concerns for the northeastern state.

The talks focused on securing constitutional status for the Garo and Khasi languages, implementing the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system, and establishing a separate administrative cadre for Meghalaya.

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Sangma stressed the importance of including Garo and Khasi in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, describing it as a vital step to preserve and promote the state’s indigenous linguistic heritage.

This push aligns with increasing demands from Meghalaya’s communities to safeguard their cultural identity.

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The Chief Minister also advocated for a dedicated administrative cadre for Meghalaya, which currently operates under a joint cadre with Assam, to improve governance and operational efficiency.

Another key issue raised was the implementation of the ILP regime, aimed at protecting Meghalaya’s tribal-majority population by regulating external migration.

The demand for the ILP gained momentum further as the centre recently announced that non-Muslims would be allowed to stay in India without valid documents if they had entered before December 2024.

The move also stired a new debate in Assam and with the Assam government being in line with allowing non-Mulsims to live in the state. With this, the Meghalaya government has moved forward with looking for alternative methods to prevent any possible influx owing to the current political scenario.