IMPHAL, September 24: Close on the heels of detection of 21 non-locals travelling in Imphal bound buses by the women wing representatives of Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) on Friday, another volunteer’s team of JCILPS today detected 18 non-local workers who were reportedly brought to the state for railway projects.
After detecting them, the volunteers of JCILPS asked the respective transporters to take back to their previous destinations. It also appealed to the masses to extend support to the movement.
On Thursday, JCILPS had announced that the entry of non-locals with or without valid papers would be denied entry into Manipur till an appropriate bill for protection of the indigenous population is passed by the state assembly.
Convenor-in-charge K Moirangcha of JCILPS told the reporters that they are compelled to take up such steps as both the central and state governments have failed to take up our demands seriously. He also clarified that their movement is not an anti-Indian movement but to protect the interest of the indigenous population.
It may be recalled that the President of India had withheld his assent to the bill passed by Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 31 last year.
At the same time the recently concluded state assembly session had also failed to table a bill to protect the indigenous population issue citing unavoidable circumstances. Despite the state Chief Minister’s assurance that the assembly session can be resumed for discussing the issue once the bill is ready, there is no sign of consulting the main stakeholders to bring an amicable solution till date.
JCILPS, a conglomerate of many civil society organisations has been demanding enforcement of a regulation such as ILP system in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram, to monitor the influx of outsiders, which has posed a serious threat to the existence of the indigenous people.
The combined population of both hill and valley of Manipur is around 18/19 lakhs while non-locals including those from neighbouring countries in NE India make up more than 10 lakh out of the State’s reported total population of 28 lakh, according to JCILPS.
