Ibobi Singh
Imphal, May 22 : Chief minister
Okram Ibobi Singh today cautioned the joint committee on inner-line
permit system in Manipur, a conglomerate of citizen groups, against
plans to launch a drive against migrants.
“We appeal to the committee to drop its
anti-outsider drive. This may boomerang on Manipuris residing or
studying in other cities of the country. If anyone takes the law into
their hands we will not remain silent,” Ibobi Singh told reporters on
the sidelines of Anti-terrorism Day function at Congress Bhavan here
today.
The chief minister’s warning came after
the committee set May 31 as the deadline for the state government and
the Centre to introduce the inner-line permit (ILP) or face a drive
against migrants.
“We will stop outsiders from entering
Manipur and also drive out those already residing in the state after May
31. We are prepared to face any eventuality,” Sapamcha Jadumani,
convenor of the committee, said on May 10.
Earlier, the committee had threatened to
issue stay permits to outsiders, if the ILP system was not enforced by
November 18 last year. The committee, however, dropped the plan after
the chief minister assured them that the government would take up the
matter with the Centre.
Jadumani said the migrant population of 7,04,485 was more than the indigenous population of 6,70,782.
According to a recent survey by United
Committee, Manipur, an NGO, migrants account for 30 per cent of the
24-lakh population of Manipur. The survey was carried out by a group of
college and university teachers based on census figures.
It has already constituted committees for
deployment at Sekmai in Imphal West along the Imphal-Dimapur road and
Jiribam in neighbouring Assam to check the entry of migrants and turn
them back from June 1. The committee is reportedly mobilising volunteers
to stop migrants coming to sell goods in localities in and around
Imphal. It will also launch a campaign to prevent migrants from staying
in rented houses.
The issue has put the Manipur government
in a spot. The state cabinet had taken a decision on July 12 last year
to urge the Centre to implement the ILP system. The Assembly also took a
similar resolution the following day but the Centre is yet to respond
to the demands. The Centre’s unwillingness to implement the ILP was
apparent when the Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said the
Constitution does not allow for such a system.
