JCILPS shares thought on Bill
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 12 2015:
Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has urged the State Government to prepare the Bill on protection of indigenous people considering the future structure of the Manipuri society.
In a statement, JCILPS also urged the Government to include the points put forward by the committee so that there is no loophole in the Bill.
Saying that the Bill must have effective objectives and reasons regarding protection of indigenous people, the statement pointed out that the State is currently plagued by demographic imbalance as one third of Manipur's population are non-locals.
Such an alarming situation is being witnessed in the State as 'the transit and exit pass system' was abolished on November 18, 1950, the statement added.
Maintaining that like Sangai needs special protection, indigenous people of the State also require special protection, the statement said that the proposed Bill must have a clear and effective objective to protect the indigenous people of the State.
Saying that all the individuals who come from other States must be named as 'Non-Manipuris' or 'Non-indigenous people' or they must be identified by a suitable word in the Bill, the statement said that categorising the outsiders as 'visitors' is inappropriate.
Maintaining that the entry pass which would be issued to outsiders must mention the time period of their stay, the statement said that the word, 'permanent resident' must be omitted while defining the term, 'visitor' in the Bill.
92 percent of the total area of the State is hill and only 8 percent is valley, the statement said and added that land ownership right is given to every Indian citizen in valley areas under Article 19 (1) although no outsider is allowed to purchase land in hill areas.
As such, the Bill must prohibit purchase of land by outsiders in valley areas as well, the statement added.
Saying that influx of migrant workers has already become a serious concern, the statement said that Labour Department must regulate their entry by issuing permits for their stay in the State for a limited period of time according to the nature of their works.
It further said that the Bill must also have a Clause to detect the non-indigenous people who sneak into the State and take refuge at Nepali, Bagladeshi and Myanmarese localities.