JCILPS says no to non-local candidates
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 14 2017: After the KSA, the JCILPS has asserted that no non-local people should contest the forthcoming Panchayat election .

Speaking to media persons at their Sega Road, Konjeng Hazari Leikai office today, JCILPS Students Wing convenor Manjit Sarangthem said that non-local people should not contest elections held in Manipur until a mechanism to regulate entry of non-local people into the State is enacted .

If the district administrations concerned do not take up necessary measures to persuade the non-local candidates to withdraw their candidature within a week, JCILPS would be constrained to launch democratic forms of agitation .

The indigenous people of Manipur have been already reeling under severe impacts of incessant influx of non-local people .

Now, they have been attempting to take over political reins by joining local self Government, Manjit remarked .

Altogether 71 non-local people are contesting in the Panchayat election.

The situation reached this critical stage because a large number of people were enlisted in the State's electoral roll by the successive Governments, DCs, SDOs and SDCs for some personal gains .

The situation has been further exacerbated by the absence of any mechanism to check incessant influx of non-local people.

Meanwhile, one Sandhyarani Das of Saiton Nganukon Refugee Colony has been found campaigning for election using wall posters written in Bengali .

Likewise, one Phuritsabam Lata has been found using wall posters written in Hindi in Khurkhul GP, Manjit said .

These are clear indications of the overwhelming presence of voters who cannot read Manipuri.

The two candidates should come to the office of the JCILPS and issue clarifications to the public within two days .

Investigation by the Students' Wing revealed that Sandhyarani came to Saiton Nganukon Refugee Colony from Silchar after marriage.

The refugee colony was set up in 1947-48 after Meitei and hill/tribal people donated some portions of their villages.

The colony has a total of 920 voters and a large number of them are Bengalis who came to Manipur in 1970-80.Noting that many non-local people have been attending camps held for Aadhar card registration, Manjit said that they would look into the matter .

The Constitution has well-defined provisions for sheltering and deportation of foreigners.

There are rules and regulations which should be complied with by migrant workers .

"Even if the Constitution does not have any provision for protection of indigenous people, we must mobilise a strong civil movement in order to protect ourselves and we would carry on different modes of agitation", said the Students' Wing convenor.

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