Imphal: As the movement to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Manipur gains its momentum, the Manipur Peoples Party (MPP) has demanded that the sixty legislators in the Manipur Legislative Assembly takes seriously about the issue.
Spearheaded by Federation for Regional Indigenous Society (FREINDS) there have been sit-in-protest in most parts of the state capital Imphal these days demanding for the implementation of ILP system in Manipur.
On Tuesday, president of MPP S Umananda Singh the party has been endorsing anyone pushing to implement the ILP in Manipur for several years.
Umananda stated that the population of immigrants are so large in Manipur that the economic benefits have not been received by the locals.
It is worthwhile to mention that indefinite hunger strike will be launched if the government of Manipur fails to pass and implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state after the monsoon session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
The Monsoon Session is underway since June 27. Last month, advisor of Federation of Regional Indigenous Society (FREINDS), K.B.Sharma, had announced that if the government of Manipur fails to pass the ILP system during the coming monsoon session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly. He would launch an indefinite hunger strike until its implementation in the state.
The chief minister O.Ibobi has done many things for the territorial integrity of the state, and now the time has come for the chief minister to save the indigenous people of the state, said the renowned theatre actor of the state who is also the advisor of FRIENDS.
According to the 2001 census report, there were more than 7,00,000 migrants in Manipur, which is much more than the tribal population of the state.
So it is high time for the government to recognize the danger of the possibility of a higher rise in the population of migrants with the train reaching the capital of the state, cautioned Sharma.
He urged the government to make sure that the ILP system is passed as an Act in the coming monsoon session of the state assembly and implemented at the earliest, so as to save the indigenous people of the state from being minorities in their own land.
It can be noted that some student organisations are also gearing up to hold series of protest rallies in Manipur demanding the implementation of the Inner Line Permit in the state.
Kangleipak Students Association (KSA), Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) and many other groups are pulling up their loins for pressuring the government to implement the ILP in Manipur.
United Committee Manipur (UCM) had said there are 7, 05, 588 outsiders in Manipur according to the 2001 census while the Meitei population is 7, 51, 422 and the total population of the tribals is 6, 70, 782. The Meitei Muslims (Pangals) have the population of 1, 57, 204.
Meanwhile, FREINDS, an organisation spearheading the demand for the implementation of ILP in Manipur, has been campaigning and giving awareness programmes for the last several years now. (NNN)