Delhi to veto three Bills
Source: The Sangai Express / Courtesy: The Telegraph
New Delhi, September 04 2015 :
The Centre is in no hurry to give assent to the three controversial bills passed by the Manipur Assembly as the legislation seemed to have increased polarisation between the valley and the hills.
"The situation in Manipur is grave," said a top official in the security establishment.
"Assent may not be given to the three bills related to inner-line permit," he told The Telegraph today.
Soon after the bills were passed, tribal organisations approached Manipur governor Syed Ahmed urging him not to grant assent to the bills, particularly the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill.
The tribal communities, including the Hmars, Nagas and Kukis, have spoken in unison on the issue as they suspect that the bills would lead to dilution of tribal rights over their lands.
However, as far as the Centre is concerned, there are two sides to the development .
Primarily it is concerned about the tension between the valley and the hills and its implications on other developments.
But there are reservations in New Delhi about the concept of the three bills as all are related to enforce regulations like the ILP.
The Union home ministry is worried over the issue of ILP, a British era legacy that is still enforced in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.
The Imphal valley has been up in arms for three months demanding such regulation.
The passage of the bills has resulted in departure of a large number of migrant workers from north India.
As some of them returned to their home state Bihar, reactions indicate dangers of a communal backlash.
A YouTube video in circulation since yesterday shows expelled Lok Sabha MP of RJD, Pappu Yadav, setting a 72-hour deadline for Manipur to stop violence that affected Bihar's migrant workers.
"Otherwise we will stop movement of people on trains from Manipur," he said.
He said it would be a democratic protest.
Another fear is that reactions may also impact people with similar physical features from other parts of Northeast.
Meanwhile, tribal groups like the Kuki Students' Organisation, the All Naga Students' Union of Manipur and the United Naga Council have raised a united voice, particularly against the land bill.
A source from the Naga-majority Senapati district said the hill people are neither opposed to nor support the ILP demand.
New Delhi is, however, sensitive to such "exclusionist" ideas.