Manipur should have ILP system

Oshaako *

Rally for Inner Line Permit (ILP) by women activists of IMA Market at BT Road, Imphal on 4th July 2012 :: Pix - Banti Phurailatpam

The so-called Inner Line Permit, ILP is the official travel document issued by the Govt of India for allowing inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected/restricted area for a limited period. It is an obligatory for Indian citizen from outside a protected state to obtain a permit for entering into the restricted Region. This system is an effort by the Govt of India to regulate the movement to certain region or State located near its International Border.

As per the Chronology of Manipur, permit system was an integral component of the Administration in Manipur. India Govt, even after it had annexed Manipur under Duress, had approved the permit system in Manipur on 17.01.1948. Then, Manipur being a border State, on second thought with a strategy of diluting and subsequently 'indianising' it, The Govt of India had got the permit system abolished in Manipur through the then Commissioner, Mr Himmat Singh, on 18.11.1950 allowing free entry, unchecked influx of outsiders from the Mainland India.

At present the population of Outsiders in Manipur has reached the Threatening - Stage giving us the much needed Wake-Up call. If we don't respond positively to this wake-up call now, very soon we will become minority in our own State just like the Tripuries in Tripura today. What the unwanted foreigners' issue Assam is facing today, Manipur is going to face it tomorrow.

Unfortunately now we cannot rely upon our Honey-Lipped Legislatures. Today it is Crystel-Clear, how they had passed in Assembly a Half-Hearted Resolution simply because of the un-suppressive demand of the Indigenous Manipuries for getting the ILP system re-imposed in Manipur. After all, our State govt is a micro-puppet of Delhi. They will first protect the interest of their Delhi Boss and then give the only perfunctory honey-lipped service to Manipur public.

Delhi could read well the hollow intention of our spineless Legislatures. That is why the Union Home Minister Mr S. K. Shinde has flatly turned down the Manipur Govt's pseudo-demand for introduction of ILP system under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation-1873 alleging there is no provision for introduction of ILP system in Manipur as it contradicts the Indian Constitution. It seems the Indian Constitution is going to swallow Manipur alive.

It is worth to be mentioned here that Indian Constitution is amendable and also got it amended many times under various circumstances just for accommodating those supposed to be unconstitutional issues that had cropped up at different times at different regions. So, we should create such a situation that the concerned authority should be compelled to re-impose the ILP system in Manipur.

Mr. Shinde is well known for passing random comments on any important issue without considering the possible negative consequences for his short sighted comments. Very recently in parliament, he had been compelled to apologise to Smt Jaya Bachchan after he had passed a taunting comment on her. But, Look! we cannot find anyone in our Assembly who has the guts to counter Mr. Shinde's crooked statement referring to our Assembly resolution.

In parliamentarian language he has directly made fun of Manipur Legislatures. Of course, they are always happy to accept negative comments made by their Delhi Boss. Also, it is sad that in parliament our hon'ble MP Dr. T. Meinya had washed his hands off from the issue once Mr. Mullapally Ramachandran, Minister of State, Home Affairs had said ILP cannot be extended to Manipur. DR. Meinya could have pursued the issue by raising the question "Why it should not be in Manipur, when it is being implemented in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh?"

Delhi is saying ILP system cannot be implemented in Manipur as it is against the Constitution of India. However, they had had imposed the AFSPA-1958 in Manipur ignoring all the justified objections raised by Manipuri people. How will we forget that with the help of this very inhuman act, Assam Rifles(AR) personals had arrested, raped and executed Ms T. Manorama Devi at 3.30 a.m. on 11.07.2004.

Then our Brave Naked Women did attack the AR at Kangla. Having unable to face the onslaught of our women Force, the AR personals had run away leaving the Gate unmanned. Ultimately AR had been forced to vacate the Holy Kangla. And of course, the Manipur Govt had tried their best to take the credit for evacuating AR from Kangla. It can be noted here that even the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India had once admitted that "The Draconian AFSPA-1958 is unconstitutional".

Not even a learned Judge of Supreme Court could not justify the imposition of AFSPA-1958. Will Mr. Shinde be able to justify it ?? No, he can't. So, now the Big question is, why Delhi adopt the Double-Standard whenever they are compelled to deal with a crucial issue of Manipur like the ILP system ? Whenever they came to Imphal, they are liberal to announce lots of utopian scemes/programmes for Manipur simply to forget it the moment they reached New Delhi. Bad Luck, we don't have a genuine leader/statesman to remind the unfaithful Delhi of the sweet promises they had given to the public of Manipur.

It would have been much much better had we had a strong regional political party for Manipur. Anyway the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit, JCILP spearheading the ILP movement in Manipur and the various other ethnic groups from across the State should not get demoralised for this. All indigenous Manipuris, barring a few pseudo political leaders, want the ILP system to be re-imposed in Manipur immediately so that we would not have to face the very ignominious issues/problems that Tripuries are helplessly facing today in Tripura.

It is better if we do remember how Israel had been created by displacing Palestine. Now we all indigenous Manipuris should be united and open all the channels to get the Indian Constitution amended for accommodating ILP system in Manipur. As we all are united, we have a Golden chance to get our Mission-ILPS accomplished at any cost.

With a strong Positive Hope