ILP agitation snowballs in Manipur

EOI & PTI, KOLKATA/IMPHAL, 12 Aug 2015: The snowballing agitation in Manipur for the introduction of the inner line permit(ILP) system in the state has added a new dimension to problems faced by outsiders in Manipur. While hitherto outsiders were facing the brunt of attacks from militants, now the move to shut out outsiders from the state is taking the shape of a mass agitation.

Reports from Imphal say agitators, led by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System(JCILPS), will soon sit for negotiations with the Manipur government following the acceptance of some of the demands of the agitators by the latter.

Attacks on outsiders have been continuing unabated for several years in Manipur. Data collected by the portal on terrorism in south Asia, satp.org, says 100 people were killed and 113 were injured in attacks by militants on ‘non-locals.’ Of this tally, 88 killings and 113 injuries were recorded since 2007, signifying increasing intensity of attacks. Among the worst years were 2008 when 18 people were killed and five injured, 2009 when 30 were killed and eight injured and 2013, when 12 were killed and 39 were injured.

The JCILPS, which has been spearheading a two-month-long movement demanding implementation of ILP system in Manipur had decided to hold talks with Manipur government, according to JCILPS convenor Kh Ratan. On Wednesday, all the seven persons who were lodged in Manipur Central jail in connection with the ILP agitation were discharged from the jail, a senior police officer said.
They were all released unconditionally on the eve of resumption of talks between the state government and representatives of JCILPS which was scheduled to start from Wednesday afternoon. The release of the arrested activists was a precondition set by JCILPS for beginning of talks, a home department official said.
JCILPS welcomed the step and its Convenor Kh Ratan said since the state government showed the proper gesture they would reciprocate by coming to the talks table. It had also been demanding action against police personnel whose alleged firing killed student agitator Sapam Robinhood on July 8 last.

On the completion of one month of Sapam’s death, a rally was brought out in which a large number of women participated. Before that, life was paralysed in the Imphal valley by a 48-hour strike call in support of ILP.

Earlier, JCILPS had twice rejected invitations of the state government for talks. But, this time the invitation was accepted by JCILPS after fulfilment of some of their demands like withdrawal of the controversial Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill, 2015 and suspension of six police personnel who were allegedly involved in Sapam Robinhood's death, Ratan added.

Meanwhile, last month Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh had sought from the Centre that the ILP system be introduced in Manipur for "protection of the indigenous people".
"There is growing demand for enactment of suitable legislation for protection of the indigenous people of Manipur. Similar demands are there in some other state in north east like Meghalaya," he had told Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during a security meeting in Guwahati.

Meghalaya, it may be mentioned, was rocked by frequent bandhs and violence in 2013 in support of the demand for implementation of ILP in the state. Two ‘non-locals’ had been burnt alive in Shillong town.(Also shared by KalimNews