IMPHAL, September 9: The meeting between the JCILPS and the government scheduled today has been postponed after the former did not turn up for the meeting to protest against Monday’s incident in which some JCILP members were arrested from its office by a police team led by Additional SP Yengkhom Victoria.
According to a source, the all political parties’ committee constituted for deliberating on the modalities of implementing ILP in the state which also includes Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam were kept waiting at the Chief Minister’s Office.
However, the committee convened a meeting today and took the resolution of holding a meeting again on September 15 at 3 pm. It further resolved to take some concrete decisions on the issue of implementing the Inner Line Permit System in Manipur.
In the meeting, the members of the committee are expected to dwell on the comments and suggestions of various experts on the ILP issue.
Source further stated that the meeting which was conducted without the CM and deputy CM as they had to attend a meeting at the Raj Bhawan in relation with the ambush on a convoy of Manipur Police personnel at Ukhrul by suspected NSCN-IM cadres earlier this morning.
The State governor had called them for an urgent meeting at the Raj Bhawan this evening, added the source.
In a latter development, principal secretary (Home) Dr J Suresh Babu has stated in a press release that despite invitations for talks by the Government which is examining the issue of implementing the Inner Line Permit System in Manipur after receiving requests from various quarters, the convenor of JCILPS and its representative have failed to turn up twice: first, on September 4 and again today.
Members of JCILPS should not send wrong signals to non- Manipuris by taking law in their own hands and the actions of the members of JCILPS were illegal and highly condemnable, the press release said, adding that members of the JCILPS should know that many people from Manipur are living in other parts of the country for various purposes and it should not tarnish the image of the State through its actions.
The Central government is watching the efforts of the state government on the ILP issue and wants it to restrain JCILPS from indulging in such illegal activities. It further appealed the civil organisations spearheading the movement for ILP implementation to come for discussions with the government.