Context of Manipur different : JCILPS
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 13 2014:
The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has censured the statement of Nagaland CM TR Zeliang who said in a press interview that ILP has not been successful in tackling the influx of migrants or illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Nagaland where the regulation has been in force.
The JCILPS construed the Nagaland CM's remark as a discouragement to the pro-ILP movement in Manipur.
A statement issued by the convener of JCILPS publicity committee, W Ananda Meetei said it was wrong to blame neighbouring Assam for the continued influx resulting from the inefficient implementation of the regulation.
If implemented in letter and spirit, the regulation would surely pay dividends.
But to say that the ILP is not successful in tackling influx just due to inefficient implementation of the regulation is nothing but an attempt to discourage the pro-ILP movement in Meghalaya and Manipur, the statement said.
Although agreeing with the Nagaland CM that most of the migrants come to other NE States from Assam after these migrants are pumped in from Bangladesh, the JCILPS said it was different in the context of Manipur.
Most of the Bangladeshi Muslim and Nepali migrants come to Manipur through Assam and Nagaland.
Once these people enter the State, they are no longer migrants since they have kindred groups already settled here.
They become indigenous people of the State once they settle in a Muslim neighbourhood or a Nepali village.
They are included as indigenous people of the State in the census.
Difficult to sift thus making the matter worse.
Likewise, Kuki or Naga migrants from Myanmar join the mainstream communities once they enter the State.
In Manipur, inter-State migrants are also counted among the outsiders.
The aspiration of the people here is to make regulation or legislation to bar outsiders from becoming land owners and to enact legislation to bar outsiders from holding political power, it said.
It asserted that ILP is not successful in Nagaland due to incompetent implementation.
The JCILPS also said that influx from NE States can be checked to a large extent if Assam effectively maintains the Foreigner Tribunals and Nagaland expeditiously and strictly implements the ILP.
The influx can be successfully checked if the law enforcing authority effectively perform their duties to guard the flow of migrants from Manipur-Myanmar border gate and porous borders.
Enactment of a law to send back illegal migrants who migrated to Manipur from a fixed base-year is the need.
Even if Nagaland blames Assam for the influx, the JCILPS would not put the blame on anyone while appealing not to allow further influx.
VERIFICATION DRIVE: As part of the pro-ILP movement, a verification drive of non-locals was conducted today at Wangkhei Ayangpalli area.
The drive was conducted by the JCILPS in collaboration with JC on Non-Manipuri Survey.
During the drive, the team came across a Bengali man adopting a Brahmin surname after marrying a Brahmin woman and included in the voter list under Kshetrigao AC.
In another case, a Bengali man submitting an application to local club and meira paibi seeking adoption of Meitei surname was found.
Saying that innumerable cases of such type would surface in future if ILP is not implemented, the JCILPS placed before the authority concerned to expedite the implementation of the ILP.
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