CSOs press for President's assent to MP Bill
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 18 2018:
Many CSO leaders of the State have urged the State Government to persuade the Central Government to obtain the President's assent to the Manipur People Bill 2018 .
The CSO leaders were speaking as presidium members of the 21 st Anniversary Observation of ILP Movement in Manipur (Kangleipak) which was jointly organized by IPSA, ACOAM-Lup, PANDM, IPAK, KANGLAMEI, KIL, CLK and KSA today at Nupi Lan Memorial Complex, Imphal.
PANDM president Yumnamcha Dilipkumar while speaking at the function opined that effective implementation of an appropriate Bill which will safeguard the indigenous people of the State is a must in containing the adverse impacts of the incessant influx of non-locals and illegal immigrants into the State.
Further stating that a multi-pronged strategy is required to ensure that all the indigenous people in the State are well protected from the severe threat of incessant influx, he pointed out that establishment of Manipur Population Commission to effectively check the intrusion of illegal immigrants can never be ignored.
There should be appropriate by-laws that can restrict purchase of lands by non-locals in the State and curb abnormal demographic changes.
Conveying that the Manipur People Bill 2018 was passed in the Manipur Legislative Assembly and the said Bill is awaiting the President's assent, Dilipkumar urged the State Government and all the people of the State to collectively and consistently put pressure upon the Central Government to get the President's assent.
IPSA president Joychandra Konthoujam reminded that the previous 'Pass System" (a permit system for foreigners coming to Manipur) was abolished on November 18, 1950 by the then Chief Commissioner Himat Singh after Manipur was merged into the Indian Union on October 15, 1949 .
He went on to observe that it is high time for all indigenous people in the State to know the real stand of the Central Government on the implementation of a regulatory mechanism which can check incessant influx into the State.
Saying that the indigenous people of the State can no longer waste time on waiting the President's assent to the Bill, Joychandra stressed on the need to chalk out alternative strategies to fulfil the people's aspiration to enforce a regulatory mechanism that will safeguard the indigenous people from incessant influx.
He cautioned that the adverse impacts of unchecked immigration into the State will only be aggravated if the implementation of Manipur People Bill is delayed.
IPSA former president and international awardee H Ibototnbi Khuman, UCM vice president Ksh Somorendro, ACOAM-Lup president Sanjit Soraisam, KSA president N Chetan, KIL president RK Sanahanbi, Kanglamei president Y Leirik Leima and CLK president Ch Pakpi Chanu also attended the function as presidium members.