Some thoughts on ILP issue in Manipur
- Part 2 -

Deben Sharma *

Police conducting operation for individuals illegally staying Manipur at Khuyathong , Nagamapal and Babupara on 31 August 2012 :: Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

What Roles of the elected representatives?

On the othe side, it behoves of the Union Govt leaderships to come out of their dominant cultural prejudices and see the great India and make personal acquintances of her cultural mosaic; histories and identities through her lengths and breadths before assuming any Union responsibility. The present Home Minister would have been more qualified in his rejection for compliance if he had visited the state, listened to the

Dominant postures of the Centre may also fuel in the Center-State relations. Locally, one may also ask whether our elected Govt took the issue seriously and genuinely or under pressures from civil society organizations.

The present state Govt may like to trust on their own power and strength of the historical mandate of 42 if they are genuine people's representatives. Not trusting the power people gave in all time high landslide victory is their own serious weakeness. People cannot help them out.

Do we attend to our own weakeness in people's movement?

It may be noted that some people's leaders have in recent past used sentimental issues as spring-board to enter into electoral politics and do nothing about it once they have found the power seats in the Assembly. This danger must also be avoided while serious efforts must be mounted to address the issues. Another danger is also the fact that issues are raised like seasonal flood without any alternative practical and demonstrative working models on the ground to prevent the flood in the next season. Lastly, any civil society movement on any issues have also been seen as one hand globe with banned armed groups in the eyes of the centre.

Are we asking the right questions?

Crying over the floods without any local actions to plug in small holes is futile exercise. It is colossal loss of public time and energies which we cannot afford when the time and space are moving fast equally. Those who raise public issue must also demontrate alternatives practical economic activities on the fields and on the streets without taking laws in their hands;

1. What are economic and commercial activities that mostly attract both skilled and unskilled labour from outside?

2. What economic activities must be demonstrated and promoted with a spirit of patriotism that can weaken the pulling factors of labours from outside?

3. What are ethno-nationalist or communal politics that attract cross-border migration of ethnic populations into the state?

4. What alternative political vision must be created to which all indigenous minority community will also share their future together?

Migration is natural. How do we manage it productively?

It is also impractical to restrict in-migration in all totality and exclude ourselves from healthy social, cultural, economic and political interactions with the others. For a state like Manipur with a fertile valley having been a receptacle of diverse cultures and peoples and its historical and political identity shaped by constant integration of diversities it is also unnatural to shut Manipur to the outsiders, altogether. The question then is who and what section of outsiders population that has become threatening proportion are problem for indigenous Manipuri people? It may also be critical, in finding proper solution to the problem, to think what aspects of our lives are being threatened and undermined by disproportionate presence of outsiders' population. We must speak the truth, outrightly because the truth shall prevail.

Is India changing economy changing population policy?

It must also be noted that India's population policy has taken an about-turn over the last one and half decades. The population explosion in India of Indira Gandhis time is no more considered as problem but rather as national asset in Manhomic times. Huge population growth in Manipur is not a problem for India as it needs safety and security of its corridoor to the South East Asian markets under LEP and NER Vision 2020. The Union Govt of India will do everything it can with security apparatus strategically already established in the region and Manipur for the security of interstate migrant population which constitutonally, legally, and politically correct for them even if that is at the cost of indigenous population – which is the fear and apprehensions in our minds today.

India and Indigenour peoples' rights

It must also be noted that in its 4 yearly Universal Periodic Report of 2008 India declared itself as a nation of indigenous people – no one community in India is non-indigenous. When such is the official position of India in the UN how do indigenous people still protect their interests? What laws; international and consitutional still remains/exists that provide protection for the interests of indigenous communities in India? While this question must be answered by Consitutional experts and guide the public properly it must reminded that the International law on the Rights of Indigenous people is legally 'not binding of members states of UN.

The UN Rights of the Indigenous people (ILO 169 & UN Resolution 2007) which is not legally binding over the member UN state throws the onus of 'self-identification' and responsibilities of local self government, future development over the Indigenous community themselves while preventing the states, as part of moral and social responsibilities, from dictating their will over the indigenous communities. This law does create a huge opportunities for the leaderships of indigenous communities to self-determine their future by engaging the states in a dialogue and without challenging the global environmental issues. It calls upon the indigenous communities to take local responsibilities to deeply analyse their issues and address them in collaboration with the State and international community.

Are there small but correct local actions to addres the issue?

It is absolutely legal and politically correct to demand protection from the state for minority indigenous community in India. The minority right to demand protection has to be put in correct perspectives serate from soveriegnty issues to make other understand the genuinity of the problem. But if after a deeper and hair-splitting analysis of the problem, we feel that there is also still something we can do about it then we must stop demanding and act on in our ways solving the problems. Such local actions must also be socially, cuturally and politically correct, and without taking the laws in our hands. A scientific analysis of the problem may leave us with multiple ways of solving the problem in many different ways;

1. The issue is such we cannot do anything therefore make a list of demands and to present in correct manners

2. The issues is such we can do everything about it without challenging the law or challenging the law through legal proccess

3. The issue is such that there few things we can do and few others state has to do, so make a list of to-do list for ours and for the state.

Cautions and precautions

But one thing that must not appear in our analysis, articulation and presentation of our issues is anything that smells of discrimination of racial order and nature. This is illegal and unconstitutional in India and also against the international laws. How do we then still address our fears and apprehensions of overswarming and slow dicemination of indigenous population?

Do we have the correct approach to the issue?

This fear and apprehensions is commonly seen across communities and regions from east of west of India. Bal Thakkary's Shiv Senanis threats against the outsiders to protect the pride of Maratha in the financial capital of India; the Bodos outburst of violence against the cross-border migrant Muslims community in their ancestral lands and ILP issue of valley people in Manipur share the same feeling. Bal Thakkare is often labelled as racially intolerant and therefore illegal and unconstitutional in India. The issues remain unaddressed. Huge security deployment as state response to in Bodo areas is also only against the interests of indigenous people in the long run. What will happen in Manipur when agitating people take laws into their hands by asking;

1. not to rent house to outisiders

2. not to buy from outsiders shop

3. not to bring outsiders illegally on the interstate transporters

4. and the worst all sorts of violence against the poor migrant labours: killing, intimidating and kidnapping outsiders – not a sign of bravery and also lawful in the eyes of international communities and law

The Culture of peace and nonviolence

The issue will die there firstly because such calls have communal and racial tone and may result into revolt against the state and end up with endless violence when the international communities over the last decades promotes culture of peace and nonviolence to addres all issues through dialogue.

Bal Thakkhare challenges the law and he is also equally strong nationalist. Is our direction in Bal's way or totally agaisnt the state and law? Alternately, we might also benefit from asking why such is issue is not an issue in the southern states of India? What are the cultural, political and economic developments of Southern states? What is difference between the people of Bal Thakkare in Maharastra and the southern states? How do we compare our movement with them and what direction are we taking?

Concluded ...