Fitting tributes paid to Sapam Robinhood on 2nd death anniversary ; JCILPS announces renewed stir from September
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 08 2017: The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has announced that the movement for enactment of a Constitutional safeguard for protection of indigenous people of Manipur would be resumed from September.

The second Lamjing Meira (Sapam Robinhood) Memorial Day was observed today at Ananda Singh Higher Secondary School, Nongmeibung under the aegis of JCILPS .

As asked by JCILPS earlier all the major markets of Imphal remained shut for the day .

Prayer session, offering of tributes by Thang-Ta artistes and offering of floral tributes to the photograph of Sapam Robinhood were the main features of the death anniversary .

Leaders of different communities, representatives of several civil society organisations, students and people from all walks of life attended the commemorative function .

Speaking at the gathering, JCILPS convenor Arjun Telheiba said that the movement launched since 2012 in association with like minded civil organisations to protect indigenous people from the onslaught of incessant influx has not been stopped even though it subsided and intensified from time to time .

Fitting tributes paid to Sapam Robinhood on 2nd death anniversary

The movement has seen many episodes which would go down the history of Manipur.

The killing of Sapam Robinhood in police firing at Minuthong on July 8, 2015 is one shocking but landmark episode of the movement.

His sacrifice should not be allowed to go in vain, Arjun Telheiba said .

In order to plug whatever communication gap and misunderstanding that exist among different communities on the issue, an extensive consultation programme would be undertaken during the month of August .

JCILPS would try its best to convince all the people that the movement is not in the interest of any particular group of people .

As an outcome of the sustained movement, the Manipur Legislative Assembly passed the Protection of Manipur People's Bill 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (7th Amendment) Bill 2015 and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (2nd Amendment) Bill 2015 on August 31, 2015 .

However, the President of India withheld the first Bill while the last two Bills were kept frozen .

It is not the time to analyse whether the three Bills are right or wrong.

It is time to march ahead with a firm conviction to save Manipur, Arjun Telheiba asserted .

An extensive consultation programme would be undertaken in August to point out who and who constitute Manipuri people to all those people who cannot identify themselves as Manipuris.

This would be followed by a massive movement in September, said the JCILPS convenor .

If necessary, JCILPS would draft a Bill which would be acceptable to all and the same would be forwarded to the State Government for conversion into an Act .

In the absence of a legislation which can effectively regulate entry and settlement of outsiders in the State, the future of Manipur is totally dark, he continued .

Outsiders whose number has been rising rapidly in the State have virtually taken control of the State's commercial hub, Khwairamband Keithel .

While their numbers are swelling at all district headquarters, population of non-local people have outnumbered local people at Jiribam and Moreh .

A similar memorial function planned at Awa Ching where the mortal remains of the Lamjing Meira was however aborted as the road leading to it has been inundated .

Nonetheless, JCILPS activists, students and family members went to Awa Ching and paid floral tributes to the late ILPS activist.

Robinhood Foundation Trust chairman Ch Hemchand said that justice has not been done to Sapam Robinhood till date.

It is learnt that the Commission of Enquiry has submitted its report to the State Government but the Government's action thereafter remains unknown .

He said that the trust would support decisions adopted by JCILPS and the people of Manipur regarding the issue .

Apart from paying floral tributes, lamps were lit at Minuthong in the evening where Robinhood was shot dead .

COHR chairman Phulindro Konsam, MU Reader Thiyam Bharat, MAPI Council president Nongthombam Bimol, All Social and Cultural Development Organisation president L Khuplen Kom and Manipur State Minority Community Secretary Md Abdul Hakim Shah Khullakpam attended the function held at Ananda Higher Secondary School as presidium members.