All-party meeting in Manipur on Inner Line Permit system

Manipur government will hold an all-party meeting tomorrow to discuss the ongoing agitation by social organisations demanding immediate implementation of Inner Line Permit system in the state.
The decision to hold the meeting was taken about a week ago by the ruling Congress government as the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS)-led agitation intensified in the past few weeks, official sources said today.
Invitations have been sent to all the political parties including CPI, Manipur People's Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Manipur State Congress Party, BJP, Janata Dal (United) and others, the sources said.
A JCILPS spokesman told mediapersons yesterday that the committee was not against the entry of compatriots in the state but there should be some restrictions to protect the indigenous people in the state.

"The number of persons who have entered the state in the past few decades has outnumbered the total tribal population of the state
It was time for the government to take some concrete steps to protect the indigenous people of the state", he said.

Barring Congress, all the political parties in their election manifesto in the assembly election had promised to implement the ILP if they came to power.
"We are not against the implementation of inner line permit system," said senior Congress leader and deputy chief minister Gaikhangam.
He told newsmen yesterday that the state leaders would call on central leaders in the third week of this month to discuss the matter.

Official reports from various districts said several social organisations, including women's organisations, have been launching sit-in protests, demonstrations and other forms of agitations in the past two months demanding immediate implementation of the system.
The sources said more than 100 activists have been sent to judicial custody for violating prohibitory orders during the agitation in the past ten days.