PM, HM's attention sought to implement ILP
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 07 2011:
Expressing serious concern on the threat posed to the indigenous people of the state by the outsiders who have been flooding in the state day by day, MPP president Dr Nimaichand Luwang today submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Chidambaram and sought their immediate intervention in implementing Inner Line Permit system in the state.
Speaking to reporters in a press meet held today at the office premises of the Manipur Peoples' Party (MPP) at Mapal Kangjeibung, Imphal, Dr Nimaichand Luwang said that the state needs immediate implementation of the ILP to check migration of outsiders without any restraint.
Taking the mater seriously, he is taking up the steps to inform the PM and HM about the threat facing by the indigenous people to seek their immediate intervention into the matter.
In the memorandum which is submitted to the Prime Minister and Home Minister, Dr Nimaichand Luwang mentioned that the heavy influx of outsiders in the state in alarming scale without any restriction for the last many years has caused severe demographic imbalance which perturbed the minds of the indigenous people of the state.
He also warned that the indigenous people of the state one day will become foreigners in their own land in the near future if this trend continues unchecked and unrestricted.
It also stated that Manipur has its history of more than 2000 years as a free nation.
Even during the British colonial rule, Manipur was allowed to rule under its own princes according to their will with British political agents as member of the Durbar, the council of Ministers.
Permit system was successfully implemented during that time.
No foreigners were allowed to enter Manipur without the permission of the Durbar.
However the permit system was abolished soon after the merger of Manipur as part of the Indian nation on November 18, 1950 by an order of the then Chief Commissioner of Manipur, Sir Himmat Singh.
The order made a drastic change in the population composition of the state.
Numbers of outsiders increased decade by decade.
It has not only given threats to the protection of the land of the indigenous people but also created instability in the law and order of the indigenous people and alarmed them lest the political power may pass into the hands of the migrants and outsiders.
Moreover the economy of the indigenous people has been greatly affected by the flooding migrants.
Citing an example, the memorandum stated that the total population of non Manipuris in the state was 7,04,488 out of total population of the state which is 22,93,896 according to the census report of 2001.Whereas the total population of the indigenous hill people was 6,70,982.This census report gives a clear forecast of the political and electoral future of the state in the coming years.
It also mentioned that the fair name of democracy will become a farce if the indigenous people become minorities in their own native state.
Drawing attention of the centre Dr Nimaichand Luwang pressed the Prime Minister and Home Minister to implement the Inner Line Permit System as a remedial step to save the indigenous people from the threats which they received from the continuous influx of the non Manipuris.
It may be mentioned that the Inner Line Permit System is being implemented in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in the North Eastern India.