A Garo hills group has blamed “outsiders” for the rise in crimes in some parts of Meghalaya and in the Northeast, which was “threatening” peaceful coexistence between “genuine” non-indigenous and indigenous people.
The A’chik Youth Welfare Organisation, which held its annual general body meeting on Tuesday in Tura, said crime perpetrated by “outsiders” was quite “visible”.
“We feel that the unabated flow of non-indigenous people to indigenous areas is one of the contributing factors for the higher crime rate in Garo hills,” organisation general secretary Lyiend Roshan Marak said in a statement on Wednesday.
He claimed that “we witness majority” of dacoity and rape cases in Garo hills being perpetrated by non-indigenous people coming from “outside”.
“The recent crackdown on an interstate dacoity gang, for robbing churches, is a testimony to our claim. In Dawki too, Bangladeshis enter our place, rob and assault our brethren of Khasi hills,” he said.
Marak also said the plains belt region of Garo hills has witnessed “many immoral and unethical cases”.
“Most of the time, these outsiders took advantage of our good and hospitable nature and our respect to visitors. This is posing a serious threat to law and order of the region and threatens to derail the peaceful coexistence between the genuine non-indigenous and indigenous people.”
The group suggested the antecedents of all “outsiders” need to checked at every proposed entry/exit point.
Marak said the organisation had decided to check all “outsiders” in Garo hills, including labourers and businessmen, from March.
Expressing disappointment over the delay in implementation of inner-line permit in Meghalaya, the group said it appeared the BJP-led government at the Centre was not “serious” about protecting the rights of the indigenous people of the Northeast.
“The MDA government should, therefore, implement the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016, to keep in check the inflow of outsiders and get them registered before entering the state,” Marak said.
