IMPHAL, July 31: The BJP Manipur Pradesh demands a white paper on the population of outsiders in the State before the Inner Line Permit is implemented, its president Thounaojam Chaoba told the media today.
Speaking at a press meet at the Nityaipat Chuthek office of the party, he said the implementation of the ILP might take quite some time and as such the government need to first identify the total population of foreigners in the State.
Elaborating further, he said two-third of the total population of Jiribam sub-division is already dominated by outsiders, so the government need to identify the outsiders’ population in the State.
The private member resolutions passed by the State Assembly on two counts to urge the Central government to implement the ILP in the State is a long process, he said.
He said ILP implementation requires constitutional amendment.
Instead of waiting for the Constitutional amendment, the State government should regulate the Inter-State Migration Act, 1979 (Amended in 1985) as in the neighbouring State Meghalaya, he continued.
Elaborating on the nature of the Act, he said it is very similar to ILP and can regulate and identify foreigners entering the State.
The need of the hour in the State is to regulate and check the influx of foreigners with the help of Acts like the Inter-State Migration Act, 1979 (amended in 1985) and to protect the indigenous population, Chaoba observed while declaring that the influx of outsiders into the State has threatened the indigenous population.
Considering that the ILP implementation is a long process, it can be assumed that by the time it is finally implemented, the foreigners would have already overtaken the State’s population and the indigenous people would be already extinct, he said.
So the State need not wait for the long process of passing the ILP in the Parliament, he said.
The statements of the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and the deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam on ILP made during the Assembly session were vague and controversial, he said.
He said the statements could only confuse the people of the State.