- NET Web Desk
A West Bengal-based organization, Amara Bangali has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India (SCI), opposing the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the northeastern state of Manipur.
Keeping in view of impending communal tensions, the Manipur Government has undertaken all necessary measures to maintain peace and order. Meanwhile, accepting the petition, the apex court has now directed state government to file an affidavit.
According to The Hindu report, the Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh asserted that “the government has made all preparations to meet the challenge of this organisation in the Supreme Court. These people are the ones who had done nothing good for us”.
The ILP entails permit to official travel documents issued by the Central government, in order to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected/restricted area for a limited period. This permit system is still in force in Nagaland as well as Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.
A British-era regulation designed to preserve ethnicity and culture of the northeastern tribals, ILP requires all Indian citizens to secure a special permit for entering the border states and regions of the North-East India.
Its worthy to note that on January 7, leaders of four students’ organizations, All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Manipuri Students’ Federation (MSF), Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) and Students Union Kangleipak (SUK) staged a protest in Imphal protesting against the Amara Bangali.
They have also torched the effigy of its general secretary Bakul Chandra Roy, which led the police to pick-up some of its leaders.
Haobijam Challamba, convener of the students’ wing of the Joint Committee of the ILPS, said that it was “very unfortunate” that the petition had been filed against the ILPS.
He further added that the committee would continue all forms of democratic agitations till the petition was withdrawn, and demanded the immediate release of the arrested student leaders.
