IMPHAL, Aug 19 - The third round of talks held between the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) representatives and the state authority at the Chief Minister�s secretariat here concluded with a positive note today.
The talk was initiated to resolve the month-long public protest spearheaded by JCILPS, a conglomerate of 40 civil society organisations, demanding enforcement of the Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) by passing a Bill in the State Assembly as in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram to monitor the influx of outsiders into Manipur.
The unregulated inflow of outsiders which including those from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh that account for more than 10 lakh out of the State�s total population of 28 lakh has posed a serious threat to the existence of the indigenous people, according to JCILPS.
The Manipur government agreed to incorporate the five demands being raised by JCILPS, in framing the much awaited Bill to protect the interest of the indigenous population of the state, says a joint statement signed by JCILPS convenor (in-charge) Kh Ratan and Special Secretary (Home) M Yaiskul Meitei.
The convenor led 18 members representing the JCILPS while Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh led the government team in the five-hour long meeting which concluded at around 4 pm.
Speaking to media persons soon after the end of the talks, Kh Ratan said, �The government has agreed to incorporate our five-point demands while framing the new Bill to protect the interests of the indigenous (native) people of the state.
�Now the matter will be tabled in a public convention for the future course of action,� said Ratan. �But the ongoing democratic form of agitation will be continued.�
It may be mentioned that the five-point demand of JCILPS include issuance of permits/passes to outsiders/migrant workers and not to allow their permanent settlement in Manipur, marking 1951 as the base year to differentiate outsiders from original settlers, denying land holding rights to outsiders/migrants, setting up of a full-fledged labour department to regulate entry of inter-state workers and commencement of detection of migrants/outsiders.
