BJP leads in celebrating ILPS promise, hails Centre

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Dec 10: A public gathering was held today at BOAT, Konung Lampak to celebrate the announcement that the Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) will be extended to Manipur, and the gathering conveyed gratitude to the Central Government for this decision.
The public gathering was preceded by a mass rally from the Nityaipat Chuthek office of BJP Manipur Pradesh office till BOAT. Both the public gathering and the mass rally were organised under the aegis of BJP Manipur Pradesh.
The mass rally which was taken out to the tune of a band party and BJP’s promotional audio was led by Chief Minister N Biren, Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar, Ministers and MLAs and it was participated by leaders and workers of BJP, LJP, NPP and NPF.
On reaching BOAT, a public meeting was held there.
Led by Chief Minister N Biren, the gathering raised slogans like, “Hail Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, “Hail Union Home Minister Amit Shah”, “Hail Bharat” and “Hail Manipur”.
Speaking at the gathering which was telecast live by local cable TV networks, Chief Minister N Biren stated that ILPS was not achieved very easily.
CSOs must know how Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the elected representatives of the State worked tirelessly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the ILPS extended to Manipur, Biren said.
The State Cabinet adopted resolutions in 2018 and 2019 to the effect that the CAB would not be accepted until a clause which would keep Manipur out of harm’s way is inserted, and the same resolutions were sent to the Central Government, he said. 
Starting from ex-Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the State Government had been urging  the Central leaders so insert a special clause which can effectively protect the indigenous people of Manipur who look quite different from the huge population of mainland India, Biren said.   
He recalled that a delegation of the State Government and COCOMI representatives talked with Amit Shah on the Naga peace talks on November 26.
After the COCOMI representatives left the meeting hall, Amit Shah assured that ILPS or the pass and permit system which was abolished on November 18, 1950 would be introduced in Manipur with regard to CAB, Biren said.
“Yesterday too, Amit Shah informed me over telephone that CAB would not harm Manipur and asked me to pass on the same information to the people of Manipur so that the nagging apprehension about CAB is removed”, said the Chief Minister.
“However, my announcement of the Union Minister’s assurance was met with negative and derisive comments in social media. All these negative and derisive comments were put to rest only when Amit announced on the floor of the Lok Sabha in the evening that ILPS would be extended to Manipur”, Biren continued. He went on, “What the Centre has granted is more than what we asked for”.
ILPS would benefit Manipur on two fronts. First, it would keep away CAB, and second, non-local people would not be allowed to come to the State without first obtaining a pass or permit. Thus, ILPS would go a long way in protecting indigenous people of the State, asserted the Chief Minister.
It is said that the Central  Government has already initiated due procedure for extending ILPS to Manipur. As such, a gazette notification is likely to be issued very soon, he said. 
However, it is rather disheartening that all these matters are being projected as worthless and futile in social media and other media platforms, he decried.
Categorically stating that his Government would not be moved by dictates or threats, N Biren said that police have been directed to pull up all those involved in enforcing the bandh called by NESO as they have declined the State Government’s appeal to withdraw the bandh for the State of Manipur.
There is an elected Government. If they want, any issue can be debated based on facts and truths, asserted the Chief Minister.
Today’s victory is a fruit of the sustained struggle of the people of Manipur, he asserted while acknowledging the roles of CSOs, political parties, Meira Paibis and media.
The Chief Minister also paid tribute to Sapam Robinhood who paid with his life in the struggle for implementation of ILPS in the State. He then hailed BJP as a political party which has its own vision, ideology and principle and is true to its words.
It is a party which is deeply concerned for the welfare of Manipur and other North Eastern States, he claimed.
The gathering observed silence for two minutes in honour of the departed soul of Sapam Robinhood.
Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar, CAF&PD Minister Karam Shyam and NPF State unit president Awangbow Newmai too spoke at the gathering on behalf of NPP, LJP and NPF respectively.