JCILPS appeals
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 17 2013:
Taking strong exception to the recent spate of bomb attacks at places where workers particularly non-local labourers congregate, the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) remarked that it is not a sound policy for both State and non-State actors to kill workers in order to blame each other.
A press release issued by the committee appealed to all concerned not to forfeit right to life of the underprivileged working class.
Saying that JCILPS has been spearheading many mass movements in order to enforce Inner Line Permit system in Manipur, it reminded that Manipur Legislative Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution on July 13, 2012 in favour of enforcing ILPS in Manipur.
The State Assembly adopted a similar resolution on June 13, 2013 and forwarded the same resolution to Government of India.
Even Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde remarked that the demand for implementation of ILPS in Manipur was a reasonable one.
However, both the centre and the State Government has not done anything to enforce ILPS in Manipur till date.
Questioning if the Centre has instructed the State Government not to enforce ILPS in Manipur, the committee remarked that dismissal of the State Assembly's resolution by New Delhi implied that Government of India has little respect for the leaders and people of Manipur.
It went on to question if the Government of India is following a secret strategy of assimilating and exterminating smaller ethnic groups by keeping all kinds of protective measures like ILPS away from Manipur.
Nevertheless, JCILPS has been organising a series of 'Awakening Programme on ILP System' in order to make people understand the grave threats emanating from non-implementation of ILPS.
Recalling that the permit system which applied to non-local people was abolished on November 18, 1950, it informed that JCILPS would observe November 18 as Permit System Deprivation Day apart from organising a panel discussion programme on the topic "Reasons and Factor for non-implementation of ILP System in Manipur despite two-time unanimous resolution by the Manipur Legislative Assembly" .
Saying that attacking non-local labourers project the JCILPS' movements for implementation of ILP System in bad light, the committee appealed to all concerned not to target non-local labourers.