Centre rejects 3 anti-migrant bills passed by Manipur govt
IMPHAL, JUNE 7: Legal and constitutional experts are to re-examine the three Manipur anti-migrant bills and come up with new legislation, it was decided following a meeting between Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and a Manipur delegation headed by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
Rajnath Singh is understood to have conveyed to the delegates of all political parties from Manipur the reasons for rejecting the three bills passed by the Manipur Assembly on August 31, 2015.
A joint statement issued by Ibobi Singh and other political representatives on Tuesday shortly after the crucial meeting said that legal and constitutional experts shall re-examine the bills for new legislation.
The joint statement said: “An hour long meeting was held with Home Minister on Tuesday and there were 18 delegates.” The contentious bills are the Manipur Land Reforms and Land Revenue (7th Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Manipur Shops and Establishment (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Protection of Peoples Bill, 2015.
The experts shall examine the first two bills for a “reasonable conclusion”. In case of the third bill, legal and constitutional experts shall “re-examine the bill for a new legislation taking into consideration all aspects of the hill and valley people of Manipur”.
Apprehending more trouble in the valley, the joint statement also appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony. Since last year Manipur has been experiencing various forms of agitations in connection with the bills.
Manipur all-party team meets Rajnath to press for ILP bills
PTI
NEW DELHI, JUNE 7: An all-party delegation from Manipur, led by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, today met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and apprised him about the need for presidential assent to convert three Inner Line Permit System-related bills into acts.
The delegation conveyed to the Home Minister the necessity of getting presidential assent to the three bills, which were opposed by tribal groups of the state. Singh gave a patience hearing to the delegation, official sources said. The Chief Minister was joined by representatives of BJP, LJD, JD(U), CPI(M), among others.
The three bills were passed last year in August after months of mass movement to protect the indigenous populace from the illegal immigrants in the state, including those from neighbouring Myanmar. The delegation sought presidential assent to have the three bills converted into acts.
The bills have been strongly opposed by tribals, particularly Nagas and Kukis, who mainly inhabit the hill districts of Manipur. The Manipur Tribals Forum (MTF) has for many months been protesting in New Delhi against the three bills and the death of nine young protesters last September in Churachandpur district of the state.
Last month, four legislators of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) also met the Home Minister here asking him not to take any action for ensuring presidential nod to the three bills. The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS), which spearheads the movement for legislation to protect the indigenous population from migrants, announced its own shutdown against the delay in enactment of the three bills.
The JCILPS demands an inner line permit (ILP) system for Manipur which has been encapsulated in the three anti-migrant bills passed by the Manipur assembly that now await the president’s nod. The ILP is a special permit required to enter certain restricted areas in the country. The system is already in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.
It was first introduced by the British, restricting entry into these areas to protect their commercial interests. Acceding to the demand of JCILPS, the Congress government in Manipur had last year passed three bills to protect the indigenous people inhabiting the valley districts of the state.
They were: The Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015.
