1961 as base year: Take it or leave it
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 24, 2022 -

WITH the exception of setting 1961 as the cut-off year to officially classify who are the bonafide inhabitants of Manipur and those who stealthily entered and got settled in the state, all other decisions taken by the state cabinet on Wednesday are unlikely to be applauded or criticised.

Among the bunch of decisions, the meeting of the council of ministers held under the chairmanship of chief minister N Biren resolved to adopt 1961 as the base year for determining "native" status for implementation of Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) in the state.

The other agendas that figured in the cabinet meeting and approval were given included regulation of house construction in farmlands,
imposition of fine against the defaulters of land laws,
enrolment of nearly 2000 personnel for India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and state police force,
in-principle consent to Manipur State Vision Document 2047,
to make Imphal a sustainable regional growth centre and gateway to Asia through appropriate land use and environment management,
to regulate usage of land in the six valley districts of Manipur under the existing land Act and other relevant Acts,
to extend the applicability of existing guidelines for the Idea Category of the Manipur Startup Scheme for Special Covid Pandemic Economic Support,
reorganisation of police jurisdiction,
to conduct election to 27 Urban Local Bodies including Imphal Municipal Corporation,
augment the healthcare sector, etc.

As almost all the other cabinet resolutions pertained to socio-economic development of the state, there wouldn't be any objections raised from any quarters.

However, it is imminent that adopting year 1961 for identifying the indigenes and non-legitimate settlers wouldn't be acceptable to some.

As per the cabinet decision, those who entered/ settled in the state prior to 1961 will be granted recognition as permanent settlers, which technically mean that whoever entered Manipur after the said year shall either have to leave voluntarily or approach the court of law to claim legitimacy and counter the government policy.

There is also possibility that the cut-off year of 1961 wouldn't be acceptable to those civil societies which had been insisting on 1951 as the base year for enforcement of the ILP system.

Similarly, organisations representing specific tribal communities would definitely rile against the cabinet decision as they have suggested 1971 as cut-off year.

It is worth mentioning that when the Union government ceded to the protracted demand for constitutional safeguard to the indigenes and proclaimed reintroduction of the ILP system in December 2019, there was mixed reaction.

While government representatives rejoiced over the centre's decision; civil societies, which had been at the forefront of public movement in pursuance of the ILP system, doubted effectiveness of the entry-exit regulatory law sans the cut-off year.

Regardless of these organisations certain to raise hue and cry over the government-finalised base year, there is no doubt that there would be many others who believe that setting 1961 as the year to establish originality of the settlers would be helpful in flushing out illegal settlers and preventing the outsiders from reducing the indigenous communities to minorities in their ancestral place.

Thus, in the context of tension among the ethnic communities over socio-political ideological differences tension, it is desired that the stakeholders concerned aid the government in identifying the non-natives who have already settled in the state under the patronage of political class, local authorities, village Chiefs, etc.