Govt will check influx of migrants : CM
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 02:
Taking a serious note of the threat posed to the identity of the indigenous people of the State following the large influx of illegal migrants, Chief Minister O Ibobi today assured the House that the Govt will do all it can to check the influx of outsiders.
Raising a motion in the House during the short duration discussion, FPM MLA I Hemochandra said that the large influx of foreigners and migrants from other countries has started to threaten the identity of the indigenous people.
Acknowledging the issue raised by Hemochandra, the Chief Minister said that the authority concerned will be directed to check the inflow of outsiders and illegal migrants to Manipur.
Special stress will be laid at the areas from where the migrants can sneak into the State, he added.
Appealing to all to be on their guard so that Manipur does not face the foreigner issue as in Assam, the Chief Minister said that while the Census of 1961 showed that the population of outsiders was 35.04 pc of the total population this came down to 24.86 pc in the 2001 Census report.
However this is no reason to let our guards down, said the Chief Minister.
If the influx of outsiders is not checked, then there is always the possibility of communalism rearing its ugly head, observed the Chief Minister.
Communal riots is something much more dangerous than militancy, for the latter can be solved through meaningful dialogue, said the Chief Minister further.
Earlier, I Hemochandra observed that since there has been a large influx of migrant workers into the State and since this has raised the apprehension that the population of outsiders may outstrip the indigenous population, it would be practical to implement the Inner Line Permit.
The situation is more serious in the hill areas, said the MLA and added that in some cases, the population of outsiders are more than the indigenous people in the hills.
This has led to the erosion in the identity of the hill people, said Hemochandra and suggested that if the situation demands then a House Committee may be set up to look into the matter and rectify things.
A mechanism to check the influx should be worked out, he added.
MLA M Bhorot said that the population of outsiders has increased manifold in Imphal area and added that if the trend is not checked, then the identity of the indigenous people may be under serious threat 25 years later.
MLA S Ibohal said that the Revenue Department should strictly monitor the buying and selling of lands.