IMPHAL, September 24: The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System had met the state government and the All political parties committee on ILPS on separate occasions on September 19 and 22 respectively, said a press release of the JCILPS.
Clarifying on a reported stalemate after the September 22 meeting between JCILPS and the All-political parties committee on the ILP, it clarified that there was no hostility after the first talk with the government and talks will continued.
It said however, the JCILPS had said after the September 22 talk that since the JCILPS has already submitted its views and suggestions to the All political parties committee on ILP, there was no need for talks for the time being.
It elaborated the JCILPS has been demanding the State government to implement the ILPS in the State to safeguard the interest of the indigenous peoples.
Considering the mass movement demanding ILPS in the State after the JCILPS joined hands with the public, the government had formed the All political parties committee on ILP.
Understanding the peoples’ movement and after discussing the issue, the State extended a formal invitation to the JCILPS to hold political talks, it said.
Following the invitation, around 2pm of September 19, both sides met for the first time and after a thorough discussion of the issues at hand, the meeting concluded in a positive note, it said.
After the first meeting, the government formed All political parties committee had informed the JCILPS that it has invited opinions and suggestions from several academics and experts on the issue of which many have been already submitted to it, said the press statement.
Following in the first meeting, the All political parties committee on ILP invited the JCILPS to submit its views, ideas, comments before the committee on September 22 during a talk to be held at the new Assembly secretariat, it said.
The talk was chaired by chairman of the All political parties committee Gaikhangam and was attended by 15 members of the JCILPS, it continued.
During the meeting, the JCILPS informed that its comment is implementation of a law to save the indigenous people at the earliest, the JCILPS statement said.
The JCILPS had also demanded the committee to provide a copy of the opinions and suggestions of the experts to the JCILPS, however, the committee had informed that since a logical conclusion was still yet to arrive at, the opinions and suggestions are confidential, it continued.
Further according to the statement, the chairman had also informed that once a logical conclusion is arrived at the committee will submit the opinions and suggestions to the government for recommendation.
It clarified that the JCILPS asked for a copy of the opinions it had wanted the committee members to share, with it, the same transparency they share among themselves.
What it means is that a copy should be provided to the JCILPS before the opinions and suggestions are submitted to the government for recommendation, it said.
It further lauded the State Home minister Gaikhangam who is also the chairman of the all political parties committee for assuring a flying squad under a designated police officer to check the entry of non-locals.