JCILPS feels snubbed, decries Govt apathy
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 23 2016 : The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has strongly denounced the State Gover-nment for turning down their request for an appointment with President Pranab Mukherjee to submit a memorandum during his visit today.

However, the committee submitted an 11-annexure (66-page) memorandum to the President through Chief Secretary O Nabakishore.

Speaking to reporters at their Sega road office, JCILPS convenor Khomdram Ratan said that Manipur is now at a critical juncture and JCILPS wanted to apprise the President of the current situation of the State.

The State Legislative Assembly passed three Bills regarding implementation of a mechanism similar ILPS in the State on August 31 last year.

However, the State has been waiting for the President's assent to these Bills since the past seven months, Ratan said.

He said that JCILPS submitted an application to Addi- tional Chief Secretary (Home) seeking an appointment with Pranab Mukherjee on April 18 .

On April 21, the State Government forwarded the request to the President's office, he said.

Although, JCILPS enquired about the appointment every hour, the authority concerned of the State Govern- ment told the committee that they were waiting for a response from the President's office.

However, at the eleventh hour, the authority told JCILPS that they cannot meet the President, Ratan said.

Saying that the State Government did not include meeting with JCILPS executives in the President's itine- rary, Ratan said that it was unfortunate to neglect the request of the committee at this juncture.

He said that a memorandum which has 11 annexures in 66 pages was submitted to the President through the Chief Secretary at around 1 pm today.

He further said that the memorandum pointed out the urgent need for passing the three Bills and the details of the two-month long people's uprising that was witnessed last year.

He said that the non-local population of the State till 1948 was only 2,719 .

However, the State started witnessing influx of non-locals from 1961 onward which resulted in the sudden upsurge of non-local population and it has now reached 10,38,616, Ratan said.

He said that the memorandum mentioned that indige- nous Manipuri people would be outnumbered by the non-locals in the near future if they are not given a Constitutional safeguard.

As such, Manipuris would become minority in their own State, Ratan said and added that the memorandum also mentioned about the students' stir of 1980 and people's agitation of 1990 .

He further said that detection of non-locals began when VK Nair was the Governor of the State in 1990 .

Around 40,000 non-locals were detected at that time, he said.

Ratan further said that the memorandum included the points which justify that the three Bills intend to protect the indigenous community of the State and it did not have any point/clause which goes against the interest of any community.

Saying that the memorandum also clearly mentioned that the Bills were developed after due consultations with the representatives/leaders of hill people, Ratan said that NSCN (IM) spew venom of hatred between hill and valley people after the Bills were passed.

Ratan said that during its renewed campaign, JCILPS had detected 431 non-local workers who did not possess proper identity proof documents so far.

Although, these non-locals were handed over to police, it is still not known whether they had been sent back to their respective States or freed without taking any action, Ratan said.

Ratan said that JCILPS with the help the people would be compelled to resume the pro-ILPS movement after the completion of district level leaders' meets as the State Government neither presses the Centre to acquire President's assent of the three Bills nor check large scale influx of non-locals.

Saying that the campaign for detection of non-locals would continue, Ratan said that JCILPS would take up necessary steps to strictly enforce the Manipur Unorganised Worker (Control of Infiltration) Bill, 2016 .

Comment