JCILPS' remark against the bill passed in the name of Inner Line Permit System in the assembly

Imphal, 14 July 2015

JCIPLS would like to bring it to people's knowledge why JCILPS is against the bill passed by Manipur government in the name of protecting indigenous people.

The Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers bill, 2015, which was first proposed in the Manipur Legislative assembly and then passed on March 13, 2015, is not acceptable by the people and JCILPS; in fact the bill was drawn in favour of the outsiders. The implication of the bill is that when migrant workers or visitors from outside the state come to hold business by renting a house or building, they will be provided safety and security.

In fact it is a law to maintain the state's public order. Misrepresenting the bill as protection of indigenous people by the state government shows the negligence to its own people. The bill is an implication to eradicate the indigenous people from the state and to add more misery. On the other hand the bill welcomes more outsiders and encourages keeping them safe in the state.

The bill is nothing but a betrayal to the people which was imposed by the puppetry government to flatter the leaders of big administration. People of the state were already having enough torments from AFSPA and the bill is a complete trick to eradicate the indigenous people. People won't accept such bill and don't take the action lightly.

Implications of the bill passed by Manipur government are as follows:

Manipur government will open an administrative office for the Directorate of Registration of Visitors and Tenants under home department. Under the administrative office various visitors' registration centers will be opened. Migrant workers and the contractors who will bring the migrant workers from outside the state will be registered in the department of labour.

1. Owners of the transit union such as hotel, motel, inn, guest house, lodge, and private stay lodges, etc need to be registered in Directorate of 'Registration of Visitors' and Tenants. If the visitors are Indian, the owners of the transit union require to get identity proofs of the visitors, such as voter card, rasan card or aadhar card. And get them registered in the 'visitors registration centre'. If not registered, Rs. 25,000 will be fined.

2. When visitors who have come to work in the state live in rented house as tenants, the renter needs to get the identity proofs of the tenants to the 'tenant registration center' to get them registered. The receipt will be given by the authority to the owner of the rental unit. If failed to register on time, Rs. 10,000 will be fined.

3. If a contractor wants to bring migrant workers to employ them in his civil work, the contractor himself and the workers with their identity proofs need to get registered in the department of labour. The contractor will again get the identity proofs of the migrant workers and get their names registered in 'Directorate of registration of visitors and tenant's office'. If not registered in the registration authority, the contractor will need to pay a fine of Rs. 50,000.

In order to save the indigenous people from its extinction, JCILPS had put up five points to the state government to be included in the formation of ILP system. They are: Before October 15, 1949, when Manipur merged into India, there was a Manipur permit system of 'entry and exit'. But after India captured Manipur in November 18, 1950, the chief commissioner Mr. Himmat Singh withdrew the permit. Since there has been no restriction, the outsiders kept coming in the state which resulted in one by third of the total population is the outsiders in the 2011 census report of Manipur.

And slowly the outsiders are taking over the economic, social, market and even political control which is giving a big shock to the indigenous people. The land owned by the indigenous people is getting tinier each day since the outsiders start occupying in it. In order to save from this nightmare, JCILPS had earlier submitted a written proposal to the people's representation, the government.

1. The government authority must issue passes or permits to the outsiders or non Manipuris when they enter the state. And the time period for their stay should be mentioned in the passes or permits.

2. Considering the cut off base year as 1951, outsiders who are entering the state later the mentioned year should have passes or permits or else they should be sent to their hometowns.

3. To make a law that will not allow the outsiders to get the land holding rights.

4. To set up a fully-fledged Labour department that will register the migrant workers and issue them passes with the duration of their stay in the state.

5. To differentiate the outsiders who have entered the state after 1951 and issue passes or else send them back to their hometown.

In this critical stage of the state when outsiders have flooded in, leaving fear for the extinction of indigenous people, JCILPS puts across a set of appeal to the government to protect the indigenous people. Firstly, the bill passed by Manipur government doesn't include the point that any visitors or outsiders must get passes when they just enter the state. The bill also doesn't have the time period of their stay.

Indirectly, it just mentions that the rental owners of visitors or migrant workers must go to the concerned authority and get registered. There is no impediment to the visitors from coming in the state. It is meaningless that if the owners of the transit union fail to register the tenants or migrant workers, the owners will have to pay fine such as Rs. 10,000, Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000.

Secondly, the bill doesn't mention to bring a conclusion to the increasing population of more than 9 lakhs outsiders in the state. JCILPS demanded to inspect the migrants according to the cut off base year of 1951 and regulate their entries by issuing passes or permits to them, however the bill doesn't include it. The issue of ILP started because the population of outsiders increased more than those of the indigenous people. The bill is truly meaningless if it is not to consider the situation of the population of outsiders in the state.

Thirdly, the government had earlier given assurance to JCIPLS on the demand of not allowing the outsiders to hold land owner's rights. JCILPS had asked the government to take the cabinet decision and make the activities of selling, renting, changing names of land to be made critical after amending the existing 'land law.' But it also didn't reflect in the bill.

Fourthly, setting up of a labour department to regulate the registration of migrant workers and issuing of passes or permits is however included in the bill.

Fifthly, the bill doesn't mention that the visitors coming after the year of 1951 to be inspected and interrogated and if found any illegal outsiders must be sent back to their countries and if Indian they must be issued passes.

The bill which was passed by the government is a law to protect the outsiders, visitors from India, tenants and migrant workers. In other way the bill was imposed to maintain the state's public order. Not generated to protect the indigenous people of the state. It makes no sense that if the outsiders are not registered then the owners of transit unit and rental unit will be fined. Counting from the day when the bill becomes an act, the outsiders who have been settling in the state will get permanent citizenship.

As there is no law to stop the outsiders from holding the right to land ownership, the visitors will surely demand their complete right of Manipur citizenship. The bill never talks about the differentiation of visitors and sending them back to their home. The bill passed by the government is not for the indigenous people but a law to protect the visitors and to transform a land for the visitors.

Manipur is a democratic state of India but the meaning of democracy 'government of the people, by the people and for the people' is being neglected here. Even though Manipur is administered by the people's representation but it is a state which doesn't respect people's demands or appeals. The government doesn't care the demand for implementation of ILP system to protect the indigenous people of the state. The law makers who are also people's representation ignore the plea of people's demand. The state has become autocracy which has been made by the power holders who have no political willpower, lack of patriotic feeling who never research ground reality, who only think to remain in power and do anything they please.

Last August 6, 2014, the government created a committee called 'all political party committee on ILP system' which is formed by fifteen people. The committee held discussions with various knowledgeable personalities and collected their opinions regarding the implementation of ILP system in the state. On December 10, 2014 the committee introduced a recommendation letter which has 280 pages however the recommendation report was not respected in the formation of the bill. The bill was proposed by the outsiders for the benefit of the outsiders and it was forcefully passed in the assembly.

As in the history of Manipur, the chief minister became the king who was loyal to Shantidas. Not enough discussion time was kept during the procedure of house and tried to do voice vote in order to bring the conclusion. And when five MLAs objected to the proposed bill and asked to send it to selection committee for changes as it doesn't pertain to the protection of indigenous people, they left the assembly which clearly means that the bill is not for the indigenous people but for the outsiders and visitors.

Lastly, JCILPS wants the bill which was passed to safeguard the outsiders to be withdrawn before getting the approval from the governor. Unless an act or bill is passed to protect the indigenous people, JCILPS along with the people of Manipur will not quit protesting. JCILPS would like to request all the people of Manipur to join in the agitation of JCILPS to protect the indigenous people of the state. Until an act or bill to protect the indigenous people is being passed, JCILPS will organise various meetings of CMO, public discussion, meetings of social leaders along with media and discussion of political parties, as well as various agitations will be initiated. JCILPS appreciate every Manipuris, workers, farmers, everyone and appeal to cooperate in the non cooperative movement started by the JCILPS.

*** This is a translated version from a Note given by JCILPS which can be viewed here