My 46 Questions to L. Ibomcha, Hon'ble MLA in connection with ILPS in Manipur
- Part 2 -

Dr. Khomdon Lisam *

Content of Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers (MRVT&MW) Bill 2015 passed on March 16 2015 :: Pix - JCILPS

15. Are you aware that the Manipur Durbar devised a very effective system of controlling the entry of Non-Manipuris called the Permit or Passport system in 1901when the population of Manipur was only 284,465( 1901 Census) ?

16. Are you aware that This Permit system in Manipur was brought under the Foreigners Department on 1 November, 1931 ?

17. Are you aware that the Government of India has approved retention of the said Permit System in Manipur vide Mr. G.E.D Walker, Advisor to the Governor of Assam letter no. 120/47/C- 26-27 dated 17th January, 1948.?

18. Are you aware that the massive influx of outside migrants is likely to produce a demographic imbalance in Manipur in the near future ? According to 2001 Census, the population of outside migrants in Manipur was 707,488 as against the Meitei population of 751822, tribal population of 670,782.

19. Are you aware that there is a regulation called the "Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation -1873" passed by Lord Northbrook on 27 August, 1873 ?

20. Are you aware that the "Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation -1873 is now in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram ?

21. Are you aware that the Mizoram State has adopted Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation -1873 on 8 September, 2006 ?

22. Do you think adoption of Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation -1873 is only for tribal areas? If so, why did the British extended this regulation to Kamrup, Sibsagar, Lakhimpur of Assam which are not the tribal areas ?

23. Do you think adoption of Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation -1873 by Manipur is unconstitutional ? If so, why and how these regulation is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram ?

24. Are you aware that the influx of outsiders has deprived the indigenous Manipuri population of their ancestral land , food, employment , manual work , education etc.?

25. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has posed a threat to the Manipuri identity and culture of the indigenous Manipuris.

26. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has posed a threat to Manipuri language , scripts and local dialects due to ever increasing influence of Hindi as the link language and "Bazar Bhasa " in trade and commerce.

27. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has posed a threat to survival of local labourers due to uncontrolled and unchecked influx of cheap labourers from other states and from Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar .

28. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has posed a threat to reservation quota for scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes as many of them are also eligible under the same reservation quota.

29. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has deprived the job opportunities of indigenous population

30. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has deprived of higher educational and Technical educational opportunities like MBBS, BDS, BSc ( Nursing) , BE etc, of indigenous population as may of the outsiders are also eligible to apply for the same .

31. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has deprived of competitive posts like MCS, MPS and other high ranking posts of indigenous population as the outsiders are also eligible to apply .We have seen that some of the outsiders holding very high posts in the Government and this is happening at the cost of our local talents.

32. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has posed a threat to Law and Order , Public Security and Safety as many of them indulged in black market , crimes

33. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has posed a threat to survival of small ethnic tribal groups like Aimol ( 2643/2001), Chothe( 2675/2001), Koirao (1200/2001) , Koireng(1056/2001), , Monsang- 1634/2001) , Moyon ( 1,710/2001), Ralte( 110/2001), Salhte 311/2001)

34. Are you aware that influx of outsiders has increased the spread of HIV /AIDS as may of the migrant workers are also indulging in high risk behaviour in sex and drug use .

35. Are you aware that some of migrant workers are very keen to contest election and become MLA and Minister. Earlier , we had one Nepali MLA also.

36. Are you aware that on 2nd March, 2006, I . Hemochandra , Hon'ble MLA had initiated a discussion on Inner Line Permit in the Manipur State Assembly

37. Are you aware that on 26 August, 2011, Shri N. Mangi Singh Hon'ble MLA put up a Calling Attention Motion on Inner Line Permit System in Manipur in the Manipur Legislative Assembly and the matter is pending with the State Cabinet since 27 August, 2011 .

38. Are you aware that on 27 August, 2011, the State Cabinet under leadership of Hon'ble Chief Minister, Manipur had discussed about the need to introduce the Inner Line Permit system in Manipur .

39. Are you aware that the Manipur State Cabinet under leadership of our Hon'ble Chief Minister passed a resolution on 12 July, 2012 and urge the Government of India (GOI) to extend the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 (ILP) to Manipur.

40. Are you aware that the Manipur Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on 13 July, 2012 to extend and adopt the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation , 1873 (ILP). The resolution was submitted to GOI on 3rd August, 2012.

41. Are you aware that Dr. J. Suresh Babu, Principal Secretary (Home) in his letter no. 1/1(12) /2011-Home dated 3rd August , 2012 has sent a request to the Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI to extend the provisions of Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation -1873 to the state of Manipur.

42. Are you aware that the population of indigenous/native American Indians has been reduced from 100% at the time of arrival of Columbus to 0.1 % to 0.2% in 2006 (the U.S. Census Bureau-2006)

43. Are you aware that the population of indigenous/native Australians has been reduced from 100% at the time of arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Botany Bay in January 1788 to establish a penal colony to just 2.4% of Australia's total in 2001 (Quadrant. https://www.quadrant.org.au/magazine/issue/2008/451/who-are-indigenous-australians.)

44. Are you aware that the population of indigenous/native people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been reduced from 100% at the time of establishment of a Penal Colony in 1789 to hardly 1000 in 2011 ( "Andaman & Nicobar Islands at a glance". Andamandt.nic.in. http://andamandt.nic.in/profile.htm.)

45. Are you aware that the indigenous peoples, who accounted for 95% of the population of Tripura in 1931 census, have been reduced to a mere 31% in the 1991 census mainly due to influx of refugees from East Pakistan. Even the names of different villages, hamlets, rivers, tributaries, markets, area, hills, hillocks, towns etc had been changed to suit the tongue of Bengali refugees, who had since became majority population. The unchecked and uncontrolled population invasion from East Pakistan has caused serious , social, political, economic and demographic impact which has destroyed the identity , culture and traditions and language of the indigenous people of Tripura .

46. Are you serious and committed to protect the identity, culture, customs, land, language , religion, mineral resources, business, employment opportunities of the indigenous people /natives of Manipur. If so, why are you afraid to initiate an appropriate law to fulfil the wishes of the people.

What we are doing is for the future generation of Manipur- for our children, for our motherland, for our honour. Rambo said " Live for nothing or die for something. Denis Fonvizin once said " A fool is very dangerous when in power." Once Charles de Gaulle said "I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians." These quotations become very relevant in the context of Manipur these days.

I am not conveying any disrespect to you. But the people have the right to know the facts. I have the right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression as guaranteed under the Indian Constitution. My going to jail for this cause is immaterial to me.

If you want to debate this matter in the DDK/AIR/ISTV/Impact TV for wider coverage, I am ready to participate.

Concluded ...