Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Imphal, December 27 2010:
A five member team of the Local Support Group on Removal of Protected Area Permit (PAP), Manipur (LOSGROM) will leave Imphal for New Delhi on Tuesday to apprise the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram of the exigency for the removal of PAP from Manipur.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, convener of LOSGROM RK Shivchandra said that since the launch of the global online signature campaign by Manipuri Association of Canada on December 5, beginning from Canada, more than 1000 people have signed the online appeal letter from across 75 countries while many more have also signed on the hard copies of the same appeal letter.
The global online campaign for the removal of PAP also includes for the revoking of the Armed Forces (Special) Power Act, 1958 .
PAP restricts the visit of foreigners to Manipur.
People from Myanmar, which adjoins Manipur, are always arrested at Tengnoupal while coming from the border town of Moreh for not having procured PAP.
Not only this, PAP even restricts overseas Manipuris and non resident Manipuris from visiting their ancestral State Manipur, Shivchandra pointed out.
The convener quoted the Union Home Minister as stating that the purpose of PAP is "protection of culture" of the people in certain places of the country.
He rebutted by saying that the people of Manipur do not understand in what way foreigners visiting Manipur for business or tourism can harm Manipuri culture when it cannot do so to other Indian cultures.
PAP is a hurdle for the development and the reason for the general decline of tourism in Manipur which has the potential to generate revenue by inducing tourism with its beautiful natural resources and its vivacious people, said the convener of LOSGROM.
The five member team, besides the convener of LOSGROM, includes its co-conveners Ratan Luwang Cha and Khelen Thokchom and members GA Naocha and Rinku.
They will be meeting the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister on December 29 or 30 .