Signature campaign on ILP at Delhi : Memorandum submitted to Prime Minister of India

New Delhi, 22nd August, 2014

Office of the
Manipur Students’ Association Delhi
New Delhi

Ref. No.: 20140822PRMSAD Date: 22/08/2014

Houkhiba June gi tang 29, 2014 dagi July gi tang 5, 2014 phaoba Manipur Students’ Association Delhi na signature campaign ama ILP khongjangga mari leinana Delhi da phangthokhi. Campaign asida Delhida leiba Manipuri 4000 (four thousand) henbana signature toukhi. Cheirak asida Manipur da ILP chatnahallu haina leppa leitana chattharakliba leipak meeyamgi democratic khongjangda achouba eenot happaga loinana MSAD gi maikeidagi bharatki prime minister da memorandum amasu pisinkhre. Memorandum asida mathangsitna signature campaign gi list amadi pamphlet su yaokhi.

Khongjang asida saruk yaribasinggi mathakta state forcena na chatthariba tamthiraba meeot meeneibu MSAD na ninda touri. Khongjangda asok-apan nangkhrabasingda sarkargi maikeidagi pifam thokpa mateng athuba matamda pigadabani. Manipurda leiriba satragi organization sing amadi civil societies loinana meepung khudingmakna changsilliba khongjang asida thong mannana ninghannaba leitana changsillaba matamdatta khongjang asi soidana mai pakkani. Meeramda leiriba manipurisingsu khongjang asibu masagi mathoudangni khanna saruk yapham thok-ee. Makha tarakpada makhal-makha kayagi democratic khongjangidamak MSAD na sem saduna leijari.

Meeyamgi
MSAD

MEMORANDUM
ON
“DEMAND FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF INNER LINE PERMIT IN MANIPUR”

Memorandum submitted to the Honourable Prime Minister of India
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi, India
Submitted on
19th August 2014

Submitted by
The Manipur Students’ Association Delhi
Office of
The Manipur Students’ Association Delhi
New Delhi

19th August 2014

To,
Narendra Modi,
Honourable Prime Minister of India
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi, India

Subject: Demand for implementation of Inner Line Permit System in Manipur

Honourable Sir/ Madam,

With due respect, the Manipur Students’ Association Delhi would like submit the subject above for your kind consideration;
1. That, there has been a democratic movement carried forth within the constitutional framework demanding the government to implement an Inner Line Permit System in Manipur. The proposed Inner Line Permit System has to be framed with local modification within the framework of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873, which has been implemented in the north-eastern states of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

2. That, many people in Manipur have joined the movement with the objective to have a system that would ensure them constitutional protection. The apprehension about subordination and displacement of indigenous peoples by the immigrants in the course of the ongoing Look East Policy, extension of railways, construction of dams and projects, oil drilling, and infrastructural construction is deep rooted.

3. That, Manipur in the past had a well regulated policy that was functional under permit system and foreigners department to maintain check and balance towards entry and exit of outsiders. After independence the Manipur Naturalisation Act 1947 had enabled differentiation of the outsiders from the Manipuris. The Manipur Council Resolution No 4 of 48, dated 26th February 1948 had retained the permit system.

4. That, the Government of India had been unable to check inflow of outsiders into Manipur, i.e., immigrants from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal and other parts of India. This has been due to the fact that the then permit system was abolished arbitrarily on 18 November 1950. According to the available report the growth of immigrant population during the period 1961- 2001 is: 196849 in 1961-1971; 128042 in 1971-1981; 179566 in 1981-1991; and 2200,031 in 1991-2001. While the accumulated number of migrants during the period is 538887, total number of birth contributed by the immigrants stand at 165601. The total number of migrants in 2001 is 704488, i.e., about 31% of the total population of Manipur.

5. That, the demand for the implementation of an Inner Line Permit System in Manipur have been endorsed by the Manipur cabinet decision of 12 July 2012 and Manipur State Assembly Resolution of 13 July 2012. On 23 November 2012 the then Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had conveyed to the delegation of the Joint Committee on ILP System in Manipur that the demand for the implementation of an ILP System in Manipur was a genuine one. However, the demand of the people have not been fulfilled.

The Manipur Students’ Association Delhi, therefore, appealed the Government of India to kindly take the matter into consideration and fulfil the aspiration of the people of Manipur to implement the proposed Inner Line Permit System in Manipur.

Yours Sincerely,
Baniprakash
(Vice-President)

Copy to:
1. Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block, Central Secretariat, New Delhi
2. The Governor, Manipur
3. The Chief Minister, Manipur
Enclosed documents:
1. Annexure 1: Pamphlet release by the organization.
2. Annexure 2: List of signatories.

We Demand ILP System in Manipur

Present Manipur lies in the latitude range of 23°83" and 25°68"(North) and in the longitude range of 93°03" to 94°78" (East). It is the homeland to the officially recognized indigenous peoples viz., Aimol, Anal, Angami, Any Kuki tribe, Any Mizo (Lushai) tribe, Chiru, Chothe, Gangte, Hmar, Kabui, Kacha naga, Kharam, Koirao, Koireng, Kom, Lamgang, Liangmei, Mao, Maram, Maring, Meetei / Meitei, Meetei Panggal, Monsang, Moyon, Paite, Poumai, Purum, Ralte, Rongmei, Sema, Simte, Suhte, Tangkhul, Tarao, Thadou, Thangal, Vaiphei, Zemei and Zou. The cultural identity, economic ownership, political rights and other democratic rights are threatened by the post 1949 unchecked immigration of Mayangs, Myanmarese, Nepalese, Bangladeshis, and others.

Manipur had a history of policy towards outsiders. The British had recognised it and introduced a permit system in 1897. It was followed by appointment of Foreigner’s Mauzadar in 1903 and installation of Foreigner’s Department in 1931 for revenue and judicial purposes concerning the foreigners. Following suit post-Independent Manipur adopted Manipur Naturalisation Act 1947 that differentiated foreigners (sic including Indians) from Manipuris. The Manipur Council Resolution No 4 of 48, dated 26th February 1948 continued to retain the permit system to enter into Manipur.

However, the then Dominion of India, on 25 August 1949 had intervened into the Manipur administration and passed an order to enrol foreign refugees in the electoral roll of Manipur. Following the Indian state’s imposition of Manipur Administration Order on 15 October 1949, arbitrary abolition of the Manipur government, and annexation of Manipur; the then Indian Chief Commissioner of Manipur on 18 November 1950 abolished the pre-existing permit system. Following this, and as a result of the absence of an effective mechanism to regulate entry of outsiders, there had been unrestraint immigration in Manipur. According to the available report the growth of immigrant population during the period 1961- 2001 is: 196849 in 1961-1971; 128042 in 1971-1981; 179566 in 1981-1991; and 2200,031 in 1991-2001. While the accumulated number of migrants during the period is 538887, total number of birth contributed by the immigrants stand at 165601. The total number of migrants in 2001 is 704488, i.e., about 31% of the total population of Manipur.

The apprehension about subordination and displacement of indigenous peoples by the immigrants in the course of Look East Policy, extension of railways, construction of dams and projects, oil drilling, and infrastructural construction is deep rooted. Accordingly, we have demanded an ILP system with modification in Manipur in order to:-

1) Socially: reduce the rate of influx of outsiders in Manipur thus reducing tension, anxiety, conflicts, and improve mutual respect between Manipuris and non-Manipuris; reduce crimes as the identity as well as the criminal involvement of the outsiders will be checked; protect the identity, socio-cultural, economic aspect of the various ethnic groups of Manipur and conserve them which is our right; protect small ethnic groups of the state like Tarao, Purum, Sulte, Ralte and uphold their rights.

2) Economically: protect land and immovable properties of the indigenous people from outsiders; reduce the problem of unemployment in the state as the influx of the outsiders will be checked; improve the source of revenue in the state as taxes will be collected for the entry of the outsiders; carve the dominance of indigenous people in the market and business of the region as the ownership of shops and establishments will be checked; save the manual labour works for the indigenous people of Manipur to maintain their economic stability.

3) Politically: check the political activity and involvement of the outsiders in the politics of the state; improve the dignity and self respect of the Manipuris.

The ILP is already introduced in Meghalaya (recently, by the discretion of the Deputy CM), Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Our demand for ILP is raised within the framework of the Indian state’s commitment to democracy: (a) the Constitution of India and Human Rights Act 1993 and (b) India’s obligation to several international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Right of Peoples to Self-Determination, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities; and the latest UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, etc. Our demand has been endorsed by the Manipur cabinet decision of 12 July 2012 and State Assembly Resolution of 13 July 2012. We, therefore, appealed the Indian State to respect the sentiment of the people and fulfill the demand so that there is development and peace in Manipur.

Uphold democratic rights
Implement ILP System in Manipur
Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD), 29th July 2014