Peoples’ convention comes up with 10 resolutions to be included in ILP bill
IFP | IMPHAL, August 20: A public convention organised by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System held today has come up with 10-points which will be submitted to the State government to be considered during the preparation of the new ILP bill.
The convention held under the banner of “The 2nd Manipur Peoples’ Convention 2015" at MDU hall, Yaiskul Police Lane commenced at 11:45 am and concluded around 6 pm.
JCILPS convenor-in-charge Khomdram Ratan chaired the convention which was moderated by senior journalist Irengbam Arun and attended by Retd Director of Audio Visual Research Centre, Manipur University (AVRC), MU Dr Arambam Lokendra as the chief guest.
It was also resolved that the next JCILPS-government meeting will consider the 10 points.
The first resolution of the convention was a reiteration of the earlier public convention resolution to include the five-point demand of the JCILPS in the new bill.
The second resolution says that the government should include (i) The Electoral Roll of 1948, (ii) The Census Report of 1951 and (iii) The Village Directory of 1951 in the definition of Manipur People which is included under section 2 (b) of the State government’s draft bill no 1 (The Protection of Manipur Peoples Bill 2015).
The third resolution says that the government should remove the reference in Section 8 (2) of its draft bill that persons to be exempted include (a) Private Undertaking (b) Local Authority and that once the bill is passed into an Act, during the framing of rules and regulations, the cut of base year of 1951 should be included in the ‘power to make rules’ of section 10 (2) of the bill.
Other resolutions include that ‘non-Manipuri Peoples’ Firm, institutions or any other similar entities’ should be put under section 14 (a) of the propose draft bill no 2 (The MLR & LR, 7th amendment bill 2015); not allowing outsiders to buy land; provide a copy of the proposed amendment bill of the Labour Act which is under the State purview; replacing section 2 (j) of the proposed draft bill 1 by ‘non-Manipur people means those citizens of India who is not covered by section 2 (b) of this Act; inclusion of JCILPS representatives during the framing of rules and regulations when the draft bill becomes an Act.
The convention has also resolved to demand the State government to establish a Manipur State population Commission or form an expert committee, to bring out a white paper on the population of outsiders in the State and to implement a Manipur State Population policy based on the white paper to be produced by the State government.
It may be mentioned that there was a brief unrest for a few minutes when those attending a meeting raised strong objection to a proposal for resolution no 5 to allow non-Manipur persons can buy land after acquiring a written consent of the seller and the local-self government.
However, the proposal had to be dropped and the resolution changed to non-Manipur people cannot buy land.
Around 300 people including representatives of various civil society organisations, meira paibis and individuals attended the convention.
Each speaker at the convention was given a 5-minute time to express his suggestions.
Several individuals including doctors, lawyers, civil organisation leaders, meira paibis came up to expressed their suggestions.
In his keynote address JCILPS convenor BK Moirangthem mentioned that the word ‘visitors’ in the proposed Draft Bill will be replaced by ‘Non-Manipur People.’
Those people who have been residing in Manipur according to National Register of Citizens 1951 will be considered as Manipur People and those who are not registered in this Register will be considered as Non-Manipur People, he said.
JCILPS also appealed to the ILP protesters to follow its instructions while carrying out protest demonstration in order to avoid the unwanted situations.
