Fall out of ILP : 'Manipuris settled outside should not be inconvenienced'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 13 2020:
Ahongsangbam Surendrakumar, a social worker and advocate based in Borobekra (Jiribam) has opined that Manipuris who have settled outside the State, must not be inconvenienced in any way by the Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) nor should be levied any taxes while entering Manipur.
Speaking to media persons at Cheirap Court complex today, advocate A Surendrakumar said that during the Seven Years Devastation (1819-26), many Manipuris fled to Cachar, Hojai and Tripura etc.
Explaining that they are all indigenous people born in Manipur, he reasoned that if their descendants wish to come to Manipur, they must not be covered by ILP nor should any taxes be levied on them.
He continued that with the enforcement of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, the State Government issued a gazette on December 31 last year detailing the ILP Guidelines 2019 .
The advocate conveyed that some news have been doing the rounds on social media sites, showing authorities at Jiribam issuing ILP passes and collecting taxes from Manipuris who have settled outside.
They are indigenous people.
Manipur is their motherland.
As such, they should not be inconvenienced in any way either at Jiribam or Mao for that matter, he contended.
Jiribam is a place populated by various communities including Meities, Meitei Pangal, tribals as well as Bishnupriya, Bengali, Assamese etc.
Many people belonging to the latter communities (Bishnupriya, Bengali, Assamese) even come from outside either to visit their relatives, take part in religious ceremonies or for education purposes.
As such, taking all these facts into account, the advocate appealed to the State Government to make necessary changes or include a clause in the ILP Guidelines at the earliest.