One day Assembly session today : Cong calls for deliberation on ILP guidelines
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 05 2020: Congress party has categorically stated that the State Government should make necessary arrangements so that the loopholes and shortfalls in the Manipur ILP Guidelines 2019 can be deliberated thoroughly at the Manipur State Assembly session convened tomorrow for ratification of the Constitution (126th Amendment) Bill 2019 with regard to extension of reservation of seats for SC and ST for another 10 years.

Speaking to media persons at his Babupara quarters today, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and ex-Chief Minister Okram Ibobi pointed out that the most appropriate forum for discussing key issues like ILPS is the State Assembly.

One day Assembly session today : Cong calls for deliberation on ILP guidelines

He said that 50 per cent of the States need to ratify the Constitutional amendment in order to extend reservation of seats for ST/SC for another 10 years.

The matter could have been tabled in the Winter Session of the State Assembly which concluded recently, Ibobi said.

Except for the Constitutional amendment Bill which would be tabled just for name's sake, there is no other agenda for the Assembly session convened tomorrow.

As it would be most appropriate to discuss the ILP guidelines at the session in view of the assertion of several CSOs and students' bodies that the guidelines have many loopholes and it would not be effective enough to protect the land and rights of indigenous people, Ibobi said.

Following sustained agitation for implementation of ILPS or similar mechanism in the State, the State Assembly unanimously passed the Manipur Peoples Protection Bill during the term of the previous Congress Government.

However, the Bill has not been given the Presidential assent till date, he pointed out.

The Bill passed by the State Assembly was a common aspiration of the people of Manipur.

But it is not clear whether the provisions of the Bill have been incorporated in the ILP guidelines published by the State Government on December 31 last year, Ibobi said.

The people of Manipur had been demanding ILPS for a long time and the Congress party never opposed it.

The Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation was already in force in Manipur even before India achieved independence or ILPS was implemented in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, said the Opposition leader.

Asking if the ILP rules and regulations of the three neighbouring States have been compared with the ILP guidelines of Manipur, Ibobi pointed out that a high power committee has been reviewing the ILP rules and regulations of Nagaland as they have many loopholes.

Likewise, other States where ILPS is in force have been reviewing their rules and regulations, Ibobi noted and went to claim that he has copies of the reports/recommendations of the review committees.

The ex-Chief Minister pointed out that the Manipur ILP Guidelines 2019 do not define clearly terms like 'indigenous peoples', 'permanent residents' etc.

A Manipuri residing in Nagaland cannot be called or recognised as indigenous people of Nagaland, he asserted.

It is crucial to study all the nitty-gritties of ILP.

It should be clearly defined whether permanent residents should have lands in their names, Ibobi said.

He went on to ask if the families of armed forces personnel and Central Government employees posted in Manipur would be exempted from the ILP regime just because the armed forces personnel and Central Government employees are allowed to stay in the State without ILP.

The State Government ought to find time to discuss all these loopholes and shortfalls during the Assembly session scheduled tomorrow.

Joint discussion of an issue by the ruling and Opposition Members is a vital essence of democracy, added the ex-Chief Minister.