IMPHAL, Jul 21: Altogether 123 non-local labourers who did not possess valid identification documents and other necessary documents were pulled up by local people of Awang Sekmai Nongthonband this morning.
The verification drive was carried out at inter-State buses in solidarity with the mass movement being spearheaded by JCILPS for enactment of a Constitutional safeguard for protection of indigenous people of Manipur.
The verification drive was carried out under the aegis of the Advanced Women Society, Awang Sekmai and the Awang Sekmai Protection Committee.
All the non-local labourers were later handed over to Sekmai police station.
Advanced Women Society secretary Thangjam Amubi said that they checked all passenger buses and Winger vans heading towards Imphal from Dimapur in solidarity with the mass movement being spearheaded by the JCILPS.
Pointing out that as many as 123 non-local people who did not possess necessary documents were detected during the brief verification drive which started at 4 am and concluded at 11 am, Amubi said that the future of the indigenous of people of Manipur is under serious threat.
Most of the non-local labourers pulled up today were engaged in the construction works of St Xavier School, Moirang, NIT Langol and power sub-station at Thoubal under M/S Shyama Powers India Private Limited.
There were others from West Bengal, Meghalaya, Bihar and Assam who came on their own to the State in search of works.
The verification drive was joined by JCILPS co-convenor Arjun Telheiba, assistant convenor (oganisation) Hayatur Rahman Yumkhaibam and volunteers of JCILPS Women Wing. Hayatur Rahman said that around 80 per cent of the labourers pulled up today did not possess any identification documents and almost all of them did not possess documents necessary for working in the State.
JCILPS has already appealed to all inter-State transport operators not to bring in non-local people who do not possess necessary documents.
He then invited all transporters who brought in the non-local labourers to come to the office of JCILPS within the next two days in order to work out a solution.
As for the 47 non-local labourers pulled up on July 17, they have been sent back to their respective native States after they were handed over to the authority concerned.
Most of the non-local labourers pulled up today came in inter-State buses belonging to Shiroy Tourist, ZET Travels and Network Travels while some others came in Winger vans, Hayatur Rahman said.
