NEW DELHI/ IMPHAL: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday declared that Manipur would be brought under the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime and with that the problems of all the Northeastern states would be taken care of as mentioned in the Citizenship Bill.
He reassured that no provision of Article 371 would be violated by this bill.
The linguistic, cultural and social identity of the people of the North East would be preserved and this bill contains the solution to the problems of the people of these states, as the provisions of the amendment have been incorporated after marathon deliberations with various stakeholders from northeast for last one month.
“The issue should be seen as a humanitarian one, beyond political ideologies,” Shah said.
He made the announcement while moving the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Lok Sabha for its passage.
The Minister said the provisions of the amendments to the Citizenship Act, 1955, which was enacted to provide for the acquisition and determination of Indian citizenship, would not apply to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and the area covered under “The Inner Line” notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.
CM reiterates
Shah assurance
Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday said he had been assured by Shah that ILP system would be introduced in the state. Singh urged people to thank the central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for its initiative “to protect the indigenous communities” of the state.
The state Home department has announced half-day holiday at all government offices on the occasion.
“Our constant apprehension that influx of outsiders will marginalise the indigenous communities has now been put to rest,” the chief minister said. With ILP implementation in the state, protests against the citizenship bill would also end, he hoped.
Taking to Twitter, the CM said, “People of Manipur has come out on the street to thank Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji and Home Minister @AmitShah ji in advance expecting announcement of ILP extension to Manipur state & thus excluding from any CAB fallout.”
The ILP regime is curently applicable in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.
Meanwhile, MANPAC, an organisation that has been vehemently opposing the legislation, expressed surprise over the CM’s announcement, claiming that it was too early to rejoice as Shah had only given verbal assurance.
“It isn’t time yet for the state to celebrate… We will rejoice once the Parliament gives its approval,” Ningthouja Lancha, the spokesperson of Manipur People against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, said. (PTI)
