A close friend of mine has expressed his anger as a reaction to the proposed Ordinance on registration at the entry to the state of Meghalaya for all tourists staying more than 24 hours and who is not permanent resident of Shillong.

His reaction I felt genuinely justified. Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya which is one of the States in India. How can the State government restrict other Indian tourists or residents of another state from entering the state without so called valid documents of permission or registration?

As if on the borders of Meghalaya, suddenly the status of Indian is changed to that of foreigners who are required to register in the foreign registration Office of the govt of India. 

This is ridiculous and severely anti Indian and anti Constitutional. 

In the name of exemption the Ordinance, it appears, provided that employees of the Central and State government are exempted from the application of the provisions of the said Ordinance. But that does not take away the harassment and humiliation of the employees to show at the time of entry their valid documents as Central or State Govt. employees.

The black ordinance does not elaborate on whether a person visiting his or her relative who may be a permanent resident of Meghalaya, will also have to go through mental harassment and physical whisking. There are many many families who have marriages done on inter-caste, inter-caste ties, and inter-state social mingling. They will find themselves one morning, unwanted.

There will be sheer chaos, outcry, and court cases against this heinously created Ordinance which needs to be opposed, and public opinion caused for awareness of human rights and constitutional rights as well.

I wonder what would be repercussions on the tourist businesses in the state which is perhaps thriving in the inflow of tourists from the rest of India.

This is such bad thinking on the part of politicians without realising that such ordinances would put the indigenous tribes in jeopardy regarding their visits or movements or stay in the remaining parts of India.

The northeast is geographically connected through the chicken neck in North Bengal and surrounded by hostile China and not to speak of Bangladesh which country is a sore in the voice of the North East, less said is better. 

In the above scenario of geo-political strategies, the NE States are not only an integral part of the country but will do well to strengthen its socio-political demographic map not by remaining isolated and marooned by its own political interests and narrow ethnic vision. 

The indigenous tribes are well protected and subsidized by Constitutional provisions already. Besides, after the statehood, the state government enacted numerous laws and legal bindings safeguarding the local tribes from the exploitation and deprivation of the non tribals in businesses, employment, and similar opportunities. So why again new rule or law supposedly against illegal influx into the state? So where is the black hole of fear?  Or it is justified?

The political dispensation should show maturity and statesmanship by making all efforts for assimilation, integration, and unity. Till the corrective measures are initiated, the dilemma will stress across the country. The time to wake up is now, the clock is ticking.

(The author is currently an advocate at Kolkata High Court. The opinion expressed is that of the author)

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