Manipur agitators 'to set' anti-migrant rules

IMPHAL: Two senior leaders of the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) have said they have decided to initiate steps to regulate the flow of migrants into Manipur . This comes barely days after chief minister N Biren Singh reiterated the need for an Assam-type National Register of Citizens (NRC) to safeguard the original inhabitants of his state.

Y K Dhiren, JCILPS's newly-appointed convenor, on Wednesday night said his organisation would soon prepare strict rules and modalities to stop illegal migrants from entering the state. He said they would check Aadhaar and voter identity cards and other documents, including work-related papers issued under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Regulation Act, 1979, of the migrants entering the state. He added that they would also verify the criminal records of the migrants.

For a long time, JCILPS has been urging President Ram Nath Kovind to give his assent to the Manipur People (Protection) Bill, 2018, which defines "Manipur people" and "non-Manipur persons" and seeks to regulate the entry and exit of the latter in order to protect the interests and identity of the former.

On Thursday, Md Kheiruddin Shah Moijingmayum, JCILPS co-convenor, said his organisation would implement the new entry rules "in the coming few days". He added that the Centre has failed to address the concerns of the people of Manipur by ignoring the Manipur People (Protection) Bill, 2018 passed in July last year.