IT WOULD NOT BE LONG FOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THE STATE TO GET OUTNUMBERED BY THE NON-LOCALS UNLESS THE TREND IS REVERSED AT THE EARLIEST
IMPHAL: Expressing concern over the inclusion of illegal migrants in the electoral rolls of the state, Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) Friday demanded the state government to identify such individuals and delete them from the electoral rolls at the earliest.
Addressing media persons at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai community hall here, KSA secretary general Sukham Bidyananda cautioned that involvement of non-locals,
in the administration of the state, after winning election would affect the movement to safeguard the indigenous people of Manipur. In 1974, 1980 and 1984, non-local Nepali namely Kishore Thapa got elected. After him, Ashab Uddin has been elected from Jiribam AC and inducted in the state’s administration. Citing increasing population of non-locals as the main reason for outsiders contesting election against indigenous people, Bidyananda pointed
out that soon the indigenous people will be outnumbered by non-locals unless the trend
is reversed.
On the other hand, the path for them to contest the election and get elected was cleared by the power hungry leaders of the state, who enrolled outsiders in the electoral rolls as they were seen as vote banks. At present, there is strong presence of non-locals in at least nine assembly constituencies such as Wangkhei, Thangmeiband, Sagolband, Uripok, Jiribam, Kangpokpi, Saikul, Sugnu and Bishnupur. Of them Saikul has its own protective layer as the seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribe. However, there is no saving for the remaining eight assembly constituencies unless the names of the non-locals, which made backdoor entry into the electoral rolls, are deleted, he said. It is only obvious that they would one day demand and exercise their rights as a citizen of the India as per the Constitution since their names are included in the electoral rolls. So, it is high time for the state government to realise the threat they pose to the survival of indigenous people and take up necessary steps to delete them from the electoral rolls, Bidyananda said. He informed that KSA would launch a series of intense agitations unless the government takes up initiatives to delete names of outsiders from the electoral rolls at the earliest. Bidyananda also said that KSA would submit memoranda to the Prime Minister and the Governor of Manipur soon to safeguard the indigenous people of Manipur.
Source: The People’s Chronicle
