‘Cut-off base year for ILP should be 1951’

Imphal: The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) demanding 1951 to be cut-off base year for determining the native status of Manipuri, submitted 11 charters of demand to chief minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday.

The joint committee urged to safeguard the indigenous’ interest by revoking of the state Cabinet’s resolution of adopting 1961 as the cut-off base year.

It said the cut-off base year should be 1951 as the former permit system to enter Manipur was abolished on November 18, 1950 by the then chief commissioner of Manipur which laid the foundation for the present demographic imbalance and marginalisation of indigenous people.

Concerning the term “Bulk permit” in the Labour ILP, it also demanded that such number of labourers does not exceed 50 and the authority who hired the labourers should also take the responsibility of any crime committed by the labourers.

It demanded clear and distinct definition of the indigenous people in the ILPS, maintaining of proper and strict data base of the ILPS, effective implementation of penalty to the violators of ILPS, establishment of a State Population Commission, exercising of NRC and establishment of a Land Reform Commission.

Its convenor Phulindro Konsam said they were not able to submit a memorandum of demands to the chief minister personally, it was handed over to the secretary to CM.

He alleged that the present ILPS implemented in the state does not acquire any provision to safeguard, protect, promote and the rights over the ancestral land and natural resources of the Manipur indigenous people.

The committee presses the chief minister to insert their demands in the Manipur Gazette, ILP Guidelines 2019.

It appealed to all the legislatures to discuss the demands made by the JCILPS in the ongoing state Assembly session to make the ILP full-fledged and fully functional.