Our Correspondent
IMPHAL, July 14
The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) sponsored 14 hour statewide general strike and continuation of curfew severely hit the normal life in Manipur today. The statewide general strike was called as part of their ongoing protest demanding implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) to regulate the influx of outsiders (external and internal migrants)in Manipur.
Strike supporters came out in groups in Imphal area and enforced the strike forcing the market places and other establishments excluding air traffic, to remain closed since dawn to dusk in the state capital even though curfew was relaxed for 11 hours till 4 pm. There are reports of protests during the strike, but police prevented them from continuing.
Curfew, imposed since July 8 after a Class XI student was killed in police action to control a protest march, continues to be in place in greater Imphal area, comprising two districts of Imphal West and Imphal East, though it has now been relaxed for some parts of the day since Saturday.
On March 16 this year, the Manipur assembly passed the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers (MRVTMW) Bill, 2015 in the Assembly. However, the JCILPS rejected the Bill, claiming that it does not provide the kind of protection that the ILP system guarantees.
ILP which regulates the entry of non-domicile citizens into a restricted region,is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.
Terming MRVTMW Bill, 2015 ‘inadequate and meaningless,’ a JCILPS functionary said that the government should be serious on the issue to regulate outsiders whose demographic influence has been threatening the socio-economic, cultural and political practices of the people in Manipur. Why can’t we have a regulation to protect ourselves like neighbouring states, he asked.
Manipur has been witnessing widespread agitations since the last few days, demanding replacement of MRVTMW Bill, 2015 with a new Bill.
Considering the public demand, the congress government on Sunday decides to withdraw the Bill through an ‘emergency sitting’ of the assembly on Wednesday morning (July 15) to discuss the government’s resolution.
