Student bodies demand ILP enforcement
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 19 2011:
While calling upon the state legislators to adopt a resolution for enforcement of inner-line permit system in the State, representatives of student bodies � All Manipur Students' Union, Kangleipak Students' Association and Democratic Students' Alliance of manipur, said sit-in-protest would be staged by students at their respective educational institutions tomorrow as a part of its campaign to monitor and restrict entry of non-locals.
Speaking to newspersons at a joint media briefing at the KSA head office today, AMSU general secretary Dipanjit Ningthoujam expressed concern that unrestricted entry of non-locals particularly migrant workers into Manipur has been endangering the indigenous population.
Citing the case of Tripura where the indigenous Tripuris have been reduced to a minority in their own homeland, Dipanjit said its have become inevitable for the Government of Manipur to initiate effective measures in order to check influx of outsiders.
Not restraining entry of migrant workers, subsequent enrolment of their names in the electoral roll and conferring them the right to land ownership is posing great threat to the indigenous people, he pointed out and suggested that the law makers frame and implement stringent law(s) to prevent dilution of the State's indigenous population with others.
Reiterating that the legislators take serious note of the growing population of migrant workers and adopt resolution for effective enforcement of inner-line permit, he said intense agitation on the issue by the student bodies cannot be ruled out in case of failure to acknowledge threat posed by outsiders.
Highlighting that entry of non-locals before manipur lost its independence needed approval of the then rulers, Dipanjit said from November 18, 1950 onward the inner-line permit system ceased functioning.
Taking into account large influx of non-locals including migrant workers into Manipur and demand reintroduction of inner-line permit system, AMSU launched a massive students' movement on april 17, 1980 during which two protestors were killed, he added.
Dipanjit also expressed strong resentment that inspite of a 16 point agreement reached with the then Government of Manipur with regard to checking influx of outsiders successive Governments have failed to effectively tackle the issue.
The announcement for staging sit-in-protest on the said issue from 11 am till 1 pm tomorrow was made in the presence of KSA general secretary Kh Manao and DESAM's Education and Academic Affairs secretary Pukhrambam Premananda.