Base year for NRC, ILP must be 1951 : JCILPS
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 04 2024:
The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has asserted that 1951 should be adopted as the cut-off base year both for ILP implementation and updation of NRC in Manipur.
The Manipur Cabinet decision to fix 1961 as the base year is not acceptable, said JCILPS in a press release issued by Thiyam Sharatchandra, convenor, JCILPS.
Highlighting the reasons for adopting 1951 as the cut-off base year for both ILP and NRC implementation, JCILPS pointed out that on July 22, 1980 and August 5, 1980, the then Chief Minister of Manipur RK Dorendro Singh and Minister of State M Kumar Singh had signed "Proceedings of Understanding" with a student organisation and AMSCOC with 1951 as the cut-off base year.
In addition, on behalf of the Manipur Government and the Indian Government, the then Governor Lt General VK Nayar had signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the president of a student body on November 9, 1994 which listed January 26, 1950 as the cut-off base year and reaffirmed the Proceedings of Understanding signed on July 22, 1980 and August 5, 1980 .
The JCILPS further reasoned that the Manipur People Bill, 2018 (Bill No 10 of 2018) which was introduced on July 20, 2018 and passed on July 23, 2018 in the Manipur Legislative Assembly had also agreed on 1951 as the base year.
Moreover, the Kangla Meepham of January 24, 2024 passed a resolution to update NRC with 1951 as the base year, added the JCILPSpress release.
Stating that their demand is based on history, JCILPS went on to say that after the signing of the Manipur Merger Agreement and Manipur became a Part C State, Chief Commissioner Himmat Singh abolished the pre-existing permit system which regulated entry into and exit of non-indigenous people from Manipur on November 18, 1950.JCILPS claimed 1951 as the cut-off base year in accordance with the timeline of abolition of this permit system, it added.
According to the census, the decennial population growth of Manipur in 1951 was 12.80% but in 1961 it shot up to 35.04% .
Hence, the base year for both ILP and NRC implementation should be 1951 before the influx of outsiders in Manipur saw a steep rise, added JCILPS.