Leaders' meet on ILP held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 17 2016: To discuss the ongoing issue of Inner Line Permit System and ways to implement the same to save the indigenous people of Manipur, a leaders' meet was held today for Thoubal district at Kakching Keithel public hall by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) .

Prominent leaders of various CSOs based in the district participated in the meet where steps to stop illegal migration of labourers and settlers were minutely discussed.

Convener of JCILPS Khomdram Ratan, co-conveners BK Moirangcha and Ksh Somorendro spoke at the programme besides representatives of different women organizations.

Citing the objective of conducting the leaders' meet, Kh Ratan said suggestions and opinions will be gathered to plan different strategies to achieve the ultimate goal.

Expressing apprehension, he said that with the upcoming Manipur Legislative election, the movement of JCILPS could be derailed.

To prevent such happening, people should join hands and work in a limited time frame.

Till today, the State Government has failed to produce detailed report about the actual number of illegal migrant workers.

Recently, JCILPS apprehended more than 400 illegal migrant workers with no valid identifications from the Labour Department in a short span of time, he added.

Such inactive attitude of the State Government and its functionaries has raised a doubt "if our elected leaders are committed to save our indigenous populace", he added.

Any act or rule whether be it Inner Line Permit System, Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation or any other system applicable in the State should be enforced in the larger interest of the people, Ratan suggested.

He further said that all elected political leaders irrespective of different political background should press the Central Government for implementation of a mechanism to save indigenous people of the State.

There have been numerous agreements between the State Government and CSOs.

However, no positive steps have been taken up so far.

It is unfortunate that the people of Manipur have lost their trust in the State Government.

Meanwhile, BK Moirangcha stated that illegal migrant workers from Myanmar, Bangladesh and other States have flooded Manipur and it is high time to check such influx.

He added that locals should have work culture to substitute non-indigenous workers.

Such steps can prove to be one of the many solutions to check influx of illegal migrant workers in the State.

He further said that some communities with vested interest created the misunderstanding and misinterpreted the three Bills which resulted in the unfortunate incident at Churachandpur.

But now the misunderstanding has been cleared, he added.

Ksh Somorendro stated that the State Government should press the Central Government to convert the three Bills into an Act.

During the meeting, the gathering resolved to demand the State Government to fulfil the terms and conditions agreed with JCILPS which primarily is to set up Manipur Population Commission and filter illegal migrant settlers.

The meeting resolved to demand that the agreement signed between the State Government with AMSU and All Manipur Students Coordinating Committee in 1980, 1994 and again with JCILPS in 2015 should be implemented.

It also urged the State Government to institute Manipur Land Reform Commission.

The meeting also agreed to extend support to the ongoing movement of JCILPS which includes street corner meeting, poster campaign, save indigenous people campaign, non-cooperation movement against outsiders, migrant workers' drive, district level leaders' meet and other forms of agitation such as general strike, mass rally, market blockade, pressure to political parties and public meeting etc.

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