The Three Bills

R.K. Shivachandra *

ILP : Sit In Protest at Uripok and Kwakeithel, Imphal on May 11 2016 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

At the beginning he was Sambhu Singh, the then Joint Secretary to the Union Home Ministry of India and In-charge of North East who said a 'BIG NO' to the ILP system in Manipur, terming that ILP is unconstitutional. Little did he understand that he was more offensive and unconstitutional to have expressed his biased view that tantamount to thwart a policy passed on the floor of Assembly? I cannot see any reason why he should not be extradited for a fair trial in a democratic country like India?

He obviously had been accumulating negative feedback over the years on the subject pertaining to Manipur and he sees all 'yellowish' as far as ILP issues goes through his jaundiced eyeballs. He seemed to less-ponder that he was facing an irate jumbo size political delegation of Manipur who are well versed in the Indian Constitution wherein the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister were also present. He was such a short-sighted chap to have imagined of teaching Indian Constitution to the Political delegation of Manipur. He would be remembered throughout and his blasphemous act towards Manipur would be written down on the pages of history.

It was 2013 in New Delhi. This episode took place in the conference hall of the Union Home Minister in Delhi and Sushil Kumar Sindhe the then Home Minister was in the chair to reply the pressing demand of all political party representatives of Manipur that was to book one Living Stone Anal under the provision of law. He was a cadre of NSCN IM who misbehaved with one Manipuri female cine star in Chandel district of Manipur that flared up like anything among the public.

Initially ILP issue was not in the agenda but it was very much one such issue that was unavoidable. That is how it came up in the discussion. The argument was formal and many insert points of reasons why ILP should not be implemented in Manipur. It was at this point of time Mr. Sambhu Singh stood up from a corner of the hall and bellowed at the top of his voice that ILP would not be implemented in Manipur for it is unconstitutional. He was literally bombarded from the representing political party members however he seemed to be very much happy listening vulgarity slangs lashed out by the representatives in Manipuri dialect.

He managed to have an intelligent smile instead of an anticipated red-face but I would rather say his face was mischievous and illusive. Beneath his smile an undercurrent expression telepathically relayed to me that damage has already been done and the 'shame' would go day after day. I am not happy with him. The meeting came to an abrupt end and Home Minister dismissed the meeting and soon headed to his chamber. I saw Sambhu Singh refusing goodbye handshake from some of our political representatives.

It was January and Delhi was reeling under a piercing cold but the argument made it a midsummer afternoon. A disgruntled political representative of Manipur left the Home Minister office with utmost anguish. Politicians may come and go but bureaucrats remains in power till his superannuation. I pray let there be good bureaucrats to glorify the deeds of good politicians. Because a new Government may install but the old bureaucrats are the same, engaging heavily on the same paperwork through his thick lenses.

I don't have a personal animosity with Mr. Sambhu Singh but I am constraint to give an account on him that how much he had damaged the much cherished dream of Manipur. Shri Sushil Kumar Sindhe was too liberal at the first place by declaring before a group of media persons at a press conference in Delhi that the Inner Line Regulation is a State subject and therefore it is left to respective states to decide whether or not to extend the Regulation to their boundaries.

Later he has twisted his version in regard to ILP implementation in Manipur saying that "Our Constitution will not allow such things. Any sensible person who believes in the Constitution will not pass such a bill,". Trinamul Congress leader I. Ibohalbi Singh questioned whether Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's comment on the Manipur Assembly resolution on the inner line permit being insensible amounted to contempt of the House and breach of privilege.

"This (statement) is serious reflection on the image of the Manipur Assembly. We want a ruling from the Speaker, deciding whether it is breach of privilege and contempt of the House or not," Ibohanbi challenged the statement of Sushilkumar Sindhe.

ILP is more than an issue but hugely obfuscated subject in Manipur. The issue had been in the election plank in Manipur too often since the early 90s. Many have propelled up to the desired political goal using this card but nothing positive came out and politicians became the same scoundrel and a symbol illusion over the years. Public left unsafe, humiliated and cheated and 2015 brought the serious mayhem to the Congress Government on ILP issue.

There had been a series of agitations as never seen before hence the need of another all political party meeting in the Chief Minister residential office. I did represent BJP Manipur Pradesh and we had several rounds of sitting discussing on the ILP over and over again. But it was a gimmick only to pacify the angry mob because the ruling Government knows pretty well that the ILP would not implement in Manipur. The real scene came out finally that The Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill 2015, passed at the Assembly was totally against the wishes of the Manipur people.

The Bill did not reflect any of the points recommended by the all political Parties Committee on ILP. The political parties were used as tools and shields by the government against the agitation of JCILPS. The draft bill was made by some people who surround the highest chair. Later the bill was rewrote and of course that was JCILP that carried away the day.

Patricha Mukhim a Shillong based journalist had written her findings in Shillong Times on 20th December 2013 that the Union Home Ministry had written to the Principal Secretary (Home) Government of Manipur On July 9, 2012 saying, (i) The State Government of Manipur cannot extend the Inner Line Permit to the State in terms of Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 applicable only in the North Eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. Further, Article 19 (1) (a) of the Indian Constitution confers on its citizens the Fundamental Right of free movement throughout the territory of India. (ii) No authority is competent to extend the Regulation to the State Govt of Manipur. The letter goes on to say, "Keeping in view the aforesaid. It may be stated that Inner Line Permit System cannot be implemented in the State of Manipur."

On July 19, 2012 the Union Home Ministry shot off another letter to the Manipur Government which says, "This has reference your letter dated 9th July 2012 and this Ministry's clarification of even no dated July 9th 2012 on the above subject. In this regard the State Government is requested to furnish the following urgently (i) Whether the State had any ILP System in the past. If yes the period during which ILP regime was in force may be indicated. (ii) Under which law the said ILP was introduced? If there is any law or Regulation on the subject a copy of the same may be furnished. Patricha reported.

This is very simple and I had the tendency to enquire what exactly the Government of Manipur was doing in the last 3 years that they received a clear signal from the Centre that the Bengal Eastern Frontier Act would not be possible in Manipur as indicated. It was moral obligatory on the part of the Government of Manipur to make it open and share with the public the content of the letter written from New Delhi to the Government of Manipur.

The Government had never taken into confidence the agitating civil organisations on the lines of actions that otherwise could have been taken up. It was so unfortunate that the Government kept it in the closed chest in the way of ostrich that sinks its head in the layer of sands in the hurricane. The Government was simply sleeping over the issue and had the government been little vigilant and active a similar bill as good as ILP or a better one could have been well formulated earlier but it was not happened. The Congress Government could not give a befitting reply to the Centre on the line that ILP is the right of the people of Manipur and lawfully can be enacted. This massage failed to reach Delhi.

I read out the above text in the first meeting of the All Political Party meeting in 2015 so it was very clear that a similar bill may be framed and passed but ILP was very unlikely as indicated by the letter from the Home Ministry. Finally the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015, and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 – were passed on the floor of Assembly, a much anticipated bill that should have been passed long before nevertheless it is well done and not too late to start.

Now the three bills are headed for Delhi but what would be the fate of the three bills are not known. All political Party representatives may soon get an appointment with the Hon'ble Prime Minister and President of India and this would amply pave a fruitful dialogue towards the implementation of the bills that is to convert the bills into Act hopefully. For the moment we will have to watch and see what comes next. Let us pray together so that our political party representatives together can plead the Prime Minister of India and make him fully understand that the three bills are not only the aspiration of the people but a birth-right that cannot be deprived for every Manipuris.

R.K. Shivachandra

* R.K. Shivachandra contributes regularly to e-pao.net
The writer is President, Indo Myanmar Fraternal Alliance and is also with BJP, Manipur
He can be contacted at nongpokharam(at)gmail(dot)com


This article was posted on May 19, 2016 .