Members of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), a pro-Inner Line Permit outfit in Meghalaya, have launched a campaign to detect and drive away undocumented migrant workers in Shillong, asking around 15 labourers allegedly working without valid documents to leave a construction site at the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) campus.
The drive was carried out by the HYC’s Mawlai Circle under an initiative called the ‘Sier Lapalang Operation’ (SLO), aimed at identifying workers from outside the state who are employed without mandatory documents such as labour cards.
According to S Marwein, organising secretary of the HYC Mawlai Circle, the operation marks the beginning of a wider campaign this year to check undocumented migrant workers in the locality.
“This is the beginning of the Sier Lapalang Operation for this year. We will intensify the drive to check outsiders who are working without proper documents within the Mawlai area,” Marwein said.
During the drive at the NEHU campus area, the organisation said about 15 non-tribal labourers who were allegedly working without valid documents were asked to leave the construction site.
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The HYC leader also urged contractors and builders operating in the area to give priority to local workers, particularly youths from the Khasi community.
“If contractors engage workers, they should first consider employing Khasi workers. Many of our youths are currently without jobs,” Marwein said.
He alleged that some contractors prefer hiring labourers from outside the state as they are willing to work for lower wages.
“They say outside labourers are cheaper and that is why they are brought in. But this deprives local people of job opportunities,” he added.
The organisation also issued a warning to contractors working at construction sites in the Mawlai area, asking them to respect the community’s appeal while hiring labourers.
“If you want your work to proceed smoothly, kindly respect the request of the organisation to employ Khasi workers,” the group said in a statement.
Concerns over undocumented migrants and the employment of outsiders have remained a contentious issue in Meghalaya for years. Several local groups have been demanding the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state to regulate the entry and stay of non-residents.
The demand for ILP has gained traction in recent years, with supporters arguing that the mechanism would help protect indigenous communities and regulate migration into the state.
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