Imphal, November 18 2008: MLA RK Anand has stated that Inner Line Permit System should be reintroduced in Manipur.

He was speaking at the observance of Permit System Deprivation Day at Manipur Press Club here today.

The Permit System Deprivation Day was observed under the aegis of Inner Line Permit System Demand Committee in protest against the cancellation of Inner Line permit System from Manipur by the then Chief Commissioner on this day in 1950 .

Speaking as guest of honour of the observance function, RK Anand said Inner Line Permit system should be reintroduced in Manipur and this would help in overcoming the challenges being posed on the social, political and economy of the State by influx of outsiders.

There could be nothing more serious than the number of outsiders overwhelming the population of the indigenous tribal people in Manipur, the MLA said, while calling upon every section of the society to work towards reintroduction of the Inner Line Permit system.

On his part, the MLA also assured the people of doing the needful in putting pressure for moving a motion in this regard in the Manipur Legislative Assembly.

Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly Dr Sapam Budhichandra and convenor of Inner Line Demand Committee Sapam Jadumani were respectively chief guest and president of the observance function.

Another convenor of the Inner Line Demand Committee Yumnamcha Dilipkumar and MLA Dr Ksh Ratan were also present at the occasion as guests of honour.

In his address, Yumnamcha Dilipkumar said that the demand for reintroduction of Inner Line Permit System in Manipur should not be viewed as anti-India and it would not give any sort of impact on the integrity of India.

Even if Article 19 of the Indian Constitution guaranteed that any Indian citizen can settle in any part of the country, the sub-clause of the same Article mentioned that necessary measures can be put in place to restrict entry of outsiders to protect the interest of a minority group if the influx of outsiders threatens to affect interest of that minority group.

This shows that Indian Constitution permits introduction of Inner Line Permit System in Manipur to protect the interest of its indigenous people, Dilipkumar asserted.

He said the problem of influx of outsiders persists as the political leaders and elected representatives look upon their outsiders as their potential vote banks.

Now the situation has come to such a stage that for a candidate to win election from Jiribam, Uripok and Thangmeiband Assembly Constituency, he/she has to have the support of the outsiders.

This means that the main decision of these constituencies rest on the outsiders.

All those who spoke at the observance function also endorsed reintroduction of Inner Line Permit System in Manipur.

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