General strike called off
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 25 2018:
The general strike called by Kangleipak Students Association (KSA) which was set to begin from 3 am tomorrow till 3 pm in the afternoon, has been suspended after a meeting was held between the association and the Chief Minister in which the CM assured to take up steps to single out all outsiders from the electoral rolls of every Assembly constituencies of the State before the 2019 Parliament election.
According to a reliable source, a six-member team of KSA led by its president N Chetan met the Chief Minister regarding their demands (which included steps to bar non locals from contesting election in 8 ACs of the State) today.
Following the positive results of the talk, KSA decided to call off its proposed general strike, the source added.
On the other hand, speaking to media persons after their meeting with the CM, KSA vice president Bidyananda said that from March to July last year, KSA had pressured the Government to take up necessary measures to protect the indigenous people of 8 ACs of the State and to prohibit non locals from contesting elections in the said A/Cs.
During the meeting today, the Chief Minister assured to do the needful to implement an ILP Bill in the State and to fix the base year as 1951 to check and differentiate non-locals and indigenous population of the State, he added.
Bidyananda added that the KSA questioned the CM regarding the dilemma of the Sikh, Jain, Bengalis etc.
who had settled in Manipur prior to 1951 and raised concern that if they are taken as indigenous population, there is a real risk that they may begin contesting elections in the future.
The CM explained that the issue needs to be produced before the Parliament as it needs an amendment of the Constitution and as such the State Government will begin pressuring the Central Government to do the needful.
On the other hand, Bidyananda said that KSA urged the CM about implementation of NRC in Manipur similar to that of Assam and the CM informed that as BJP vice president Ram Madhav had announced that NRC will be implemented in every State after 2019 election, the State Government will consult the Central Government in this regard.
When it came to Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, the CM stated that as the issue was not brought up in the recent Parliament session, its immediate future is uncertain.
However, the CM assured that the Bill will not harm the indigenous people of Manipur in any way, he added.
Bidyananda added that KSA also demanded the CM to take out the dhobi, munsi, nam sudra etc from the SC, ST and OBC list as well as to cancel the benefits associated with the statuses, to which the CM assured to act as per the interest of the people.
Bidyananda continued that KSA decided to call off its proposed general strike following the Chief Minister's assurance to translate into action the Government's promise to begin due process of identification of non locals in the electoral roll of the 60 A/Cs of the State.