IMPHAL, Sep 1: The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has said that the upcoming State Assembly session which is scheduled to start from September 2 must not be adjourned sine die until and unless a new Bill for the protection of indigenous people of the State is passed.
Addressing a press conference at their office, JCILPS convenor BK Moirangcha said that they are ready to launch an intense agitation with the support from the masses if their demand is not considered.
He urged the students of different educational institutes to stage protest at their school/college gates raising slogans like ‘Do not adjourn Assembly session until a new ILPS Bill is passed’, ‘We want ILPS’, ‘We demand ILPS” and ‘Long live Manipur’.
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam have been assuring the public to introduce a new Bill during the upcoming Assembly session at different functions and platforms.
However, people are now in utter shock and disbelief as the State Government had announced that the Bill would not be introduced in the upcoming Assembly session due to time constraint yesterday, he said.
He asked the Government to learn from the recent incident of indigenous Tripuri people being attacked by Bengalis during a rally at Agartala.
In its notification issued by Special Secretary (Home) M Yaiskul, the Government said that they received JCILPS’ draft alternative Bill (The Regulation of Non-Manipuri Peoples’ Bill, 2016) after August 24, the closing date for receiving suggestions on their draft proposed Bill known as ‘The Manipur Regulation on Non-Local Bill, 2016’.
BK Moirangcha said that JCILPS had already submitted the 5-point resolution adopted by a people’s convention long time.
Saying that people’s wish is to incorporate these five points into the new ILPS Bill, BK Moirangcha said that the Government seems to have taken the advantage of JCILPS’ submission of the draft alternative Bill after the closing date.
Government’s stand on the protection of indigenous people of the State is still not clear as they blame JCILPS for dropping the plan of introducing the new ILPS Bill, BK Moirangcha said.
He said that a new Bill can always be drafted and passed by the Assembly if the Government has the political will.
The upcoming Assembly session must not be adjourned sine die until and unless a consensus new ILPS Bill is passed.
As such, the Government must fix a date for the introduction of the new Bill at the earliest.
He also urged the Hill Area Committee and all the stakeholders to examine JCILPS’ draft alternative Bill and submit suggestions.
