Protecting the indigenous people : Time for introspection
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 12, 2014 -

Protect the indigenous people of the land. Stop the influx of outsiders into the State. These have been the slogans raised by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System and central to the movement to check the inflow of outsiders to the State is protecting the interest and the identity of the indigenous people of the land.

To say that the State Government has been maintaining a stoic silence would amount to refusing to accept the reality.

True, the State Government has not shown the sense of urgency in dealing with the matter, but it is nonetheless important to note that it has demonstrated that it is seized of the matter.

It is in line with this that a Committee to study the feasibility of enforcing the Inner Line Permit System has been set up under the Deputy Chief Minister.

To show that it means business, the Committee has already sought the views and comments of experienced personalities and political leaders.

Moreover the fact that the Chief Minister has himself admitted that there is a need to check the inflow of outsiders into the State should be more than indicative that the State Government too has realised the importance of safeguarding the land and the local people from the large scale influx of outsiders into the State.

However it must be said that the State Government has not done much to show that it has applied its mind wholeheartedly to deal with the matter and this is where doubts have been raised over the sincerity of the Government.

It is against this backdrop that the JCILPS has announced that if the Government does not enforce the Inner Line Permit System by November 18, then the movement will be given more vigour from November 19.

Certainly not good news for the thousands of outsiders who have entered the State slyly.

And certainly nothing much to rejoice for the Government, though it may have voiced its concern over the large scale influx of outsiders.

In as much as it is the responsibility of the State Government to enact the needed legislation to check the influx of outsiders, it is also right for the common citizens to ask themselves why Manipur continue to attract outsiders.

While pressure should be mounted on the Government to do something, it is only right for the people to question why a vacuum has been created for the outsiders to come and fill up.

Bitter it may be, but it would be for the good of all to acknowledge certain facts.

That Manipur has immense pull factor is a given and it is also true that at most times the pull factor has been created by the people themselves.

Unemployment is definitely one of the major factors plaguing the Manipuri society but when employment is interpreted as a white collared vocation the issue becomes all that more compounded.

With the people unwilling to take up any work considered ‘lowly’ or involving too much physical activities, then surely there will be outsiders who are ready to come here and take up those works.

Ever wondered why almost all the barbers in the State are non-local people ?