The Inner Line Permit System being implemented in the state at present is like a toothless tiger and it does not offer any form of projection towards the indigenous population of Manipur, said Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit system (JCILPS) convenor Phulindro Konsam on Sunday.
He was speaking at a public hearing on the ILP system in the state, organised by JCILPS at the community hall of Thoubal Awang Leikai.
He said that the state government issued a Gazette notification on December 31, 2019 that the Inner Line Permit System has been officially implemented in the state for the protection of the indigenous population of Manipur. The people cheered and welcomed the announcement at that time, he said.
However, the system has failed to offer any form of protection to the indigenous population of the state till date, he added. “This system is hollow and has no advantages. Therefore, the state needs to take up measures to make the ILP system become effective and strong,” he further said.
He continued that unless a clear definition of the indigenous population of the state is made, it would be difficult to sort out the non-indigenous. “Those who had been settling before 1950 should be considered as indigenous while those who arrived after 1951 ought to be regarded as non-indigenous,” he contended.
In the neighbouring states of Assam and Mizoram, there are clear definitions of who their indigenous population are. In a similar fashion, the state government has to sort out which ones are to be categorised as indigenous population, he urged.
He further spoke about the different forms of the ILP system in details. At the public hearing today, JCILPS co-convenors, namely Wateppam Second, Chingkhei Luwang, Kheiruddin Moijingmayum among others lamented that the current ILP system being implemented in the state is useless.
They further stressed on the need for the people of the state to create a culture of work, self-employment and acquiring new skills.
They further raised concerns that the non-local population is about to overtake the indigenous population at some assembly constituencies.
The public hearing was attended by Khunnai Kanba Lup secretary Waikhim Maipak as president, IPSHA secretary AK Biswajit, Thoubal keithel phambi Lup secretary AK Budhi devi, social worker Puyam Jote as guests of honour.
