Shutting out ILP issue
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 11, 2014 -

Long ago there was a Chief Minister in Manipur who was known for declaring full holiday as well as half holiday not only for schools and colleges but also for Government offices at the slightest call for some celebration, whether it is the success of State football team in some tournament or the annual pre or post harvest festivals of any communities in the State.

Even though, he had done it all in good faith; because of his quirky nature and the propensity of declaring holiday for students in schools and colleges as well as for employees in Government offices so randomly and effortlessly, the said Chief Minister became the butt of jokes and many newspaper columns were spilled over with such snappy wisecracks.

Interestingly, when the said Chief Minister breathed his last on July 17, 2012, the Government of Manipur could not think of a better and more befitting tribute to him than declaring holiday the following the day, that is on July 18, an important red-letter for the people, thereby, kicking up quite an uproar from some sections of the society.

Well, all that is now a part of the history of the administrative journey in Manipur and the quirkiness of some of the leaders who have ruled the State as its elected leaders.

However, even if the nature of the quirkiness may differs, it seems one could definitely conclude that today we have a Chief Minister who seems to feel that declaring indefinite holiday in all schools and colleges is the perfect solution to contain any possible unrest of students in the society.

For the second time in a span of three months, the present Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has come up with the decision of shutting down schools and colleges to counter the growing clamour among students for the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Manipur.

Of course, in the first instance of ordering the shut down until further orders, it was the students studying in schools and colleges in the twin-district of Imphal East and Imphal West who were forced to stay away from attending to their normal classes so as to dissuade them from taking part in the ongoing public movement for implementation of Inner Line Permit system in the State to check influx of unregulated outsiders.

However, as that effort went flat as it could not stop the students in other districts including his own home district Thoubal from coming out of their classrooms to raise the issue; this time, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has come up with the idea of declaring indefinite holidays in all schools and colleges across the State.

Here, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and more particularly those who are acting as his advisors should understand that shutting out the students from participation in the ongoing movement could never be the solution to the growing public demand for implementation of ILP in the State.

The assurance of protecting and preventing young students from indulging in violence activities may be nice to hear as it sounds very responsible, but such quirky measures of declaring indefinite holidays in all educational institutions at best looks nothing more than trying to run away from facing the truth and reality of the lingering ILP issue in the State.

By shutting down educational institutes to shut up and out students, the State Government is only giving the wrong message of shutting out the ILP issue.