Manipur a ILP leh ST Demand hi ahung lolhing dem?

Manipur phaicham mi hon achesa July 5, 2015 a kipat a Inner Line Permit (ILP) chesah nading a kiphin na ahin nei uhin Manipur ahin chohling lheh jeng tan ahi. ILP demand hi 2005 kum’a kipat a ana kipan hita jong leh 2012 kum’a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) 40 vel in Joint Committee for Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) kiti banner noi a ahin chepi uva kipat hatah in ahung hatdoh in ahi. ILP chung chang hi ivet leh Manipur a phaicham mi hon Schedule Tribe (ST) a-demand utoh jong hung kisai dan’a aum jeh in hiche teni hi hilchet na ana nei’u hite.

Amasan tutua kiha sei ILP ana veu hite.

Inner Line Permit (ILP) hi Bristishte khanglai a Tribal (Thinglhangmi), adeh a India Sah-solam (Northeast) gamkai a umho venbit nading a ana kisem Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873 a kon hung kisem doh ahi. Chule hiche daan hi Northeast a Tribal ho chenna mun (land), chondan (culture), ham-le-pao (language), chule kivaipoh dan ho jatdang hon asuhset peh lou nadiuva British ten ana sem ahi. BEFR dungjui a hi Tribal ho chenna gamhoa jatdang ho chengthei lou, gam jong aki choh theilou diu, ijemtia phat chomkhat kholjinnom aum jong leh Inner Line Permit kiti card (lekha) khat akilah masat diu ahi.

Hinlah apolang ah Tribal ho protect bol nading kiti jong leh asung lang a British ten adei chu Tribal ho chenna gam ho a ‘resource’ ho jatdang-namdang ho suhkhah sah louva amahon bou sumkolvei na a anei thei nadiu ahi. Resource iti teng thing-le-go, songmantam, leithao, gamga, chule adang tampi aum’e.

BEFR ana kisem hi adeilou, adeh a India sung a jatlenjep (Kol) hon British te ‘Divide and Rule Policy’ahin hiche jeh a hi tuchan a India-mi phaicham a cheng ho leh thinglhang a cheng ho kipumkhat theilou ahi tin asei uve. Hinlah thinglhangmi hon vang British ten Tribal ho huh nading a ana sem’u ahin, hiche daan hi ana umlou hileh jatlen hon chihna-thepna, inchen-khosah lhasam nalai Tribal hohi a-Gam’u leh chanvou kisempeh ho aneh chai peh ei-u ahi atiuve.

Northeast gamho a ana kikoi BEFR hi India in independent ahin mu jou in jong Tribal district ho ah ahung kikoi peh nalaiye. Hinlah hiche hi mun phabep ah ana kila doh tan, Mizoram, Nagaland, chule Arunachal Pradesh ah vang aki koi jing nalaiye.

Manipur in India toh 1947 kum’a Independent ana mujou chun BEFR hi ana kikoi tapoi. Ajeh chu Manipur chu India gambeh ana hi tapoi.

Hinlah September 21, 1949 chun Manipur Lengpa, Maharaja Bodhchandra in ‘Merger Agreement’ soi (sign) anakai tan, hitoh kilhon chun October 15, 1949 nikhon India ah analut (merged) tan ahi. October 15 jou hin ILP ana kiche sah pai in, hinlah November 18, 1950 chun Chief Commissioner anahi Himayat Singh in ajeh imacha pelou in ILP chu Manipur a pat ana ladoh tan ahi.

Kum tampi ahung chenung, 2001 Census (community-wise) ahung kisodoh chun Manipur a Mayang ho population hatah a akal chu hetdoh ahung hitan, hijeh chun phaicham miho hatah in ana lung linglao tauve. All Manipur College Teachers Association report dungjui a Manipur population (2001) chu agom a 23.89 Lakh tobang ahin; hiho lah a hi Meitei-13.62 Lakh; Meitei-Pangal-1.67 Lakh; ST-6.38 Lakh; Others-2.22 Lakh ahi.

2011 Census dungjui in Manipur a mihem jat Lakh 27.22 aphatan, hinlah community-wise break-up akisodoh loulai jeh in seichet thei ahi naipoi. Hijong leh Meilhei tehin Mayang ho hatah a kaldin ginchat na anei uve.

Hiche dinmun a hi ILP aki chesah louleh phat chomkhat jouteng Kol (Mayang) ho joh hung tamjo uva, Manipur hi amahon ahin toupha ding’u ahi tai tihi Meilhei hon akichat pen’u ahi. Tripura jeng jong khu agamnei (Tripuri) ho sang’a Bengali ho tamjo a, imajouse amahon a-control ahi tai.

Hitobang dinmun ahitah jeh hin ILP chesah nading in Federation of Regional Indigenous Society of Manipur (FRIENDS) hon November 15, 2005 a kipat chun kiphinna ahin nei pan tauve. Hitichun ol ol in ahung che in July 4, 2012 nikho chun CSO 40 vel kithokhom in JCILPS ahin semdoh kit tauvin ahi.

JCILPS ahung kisem doh a kipat hin ILP thu hi hatah in ahung machal in, Manipur State government in jong nopthap in akoithei tapoi. Hijeh chun July 13, 2012 chun State Assembly in ILP hi Manipur a chesah na ding a Centre kom’a lekha thot ding ti kiphatsahna ana nei tai. Hinlah Manipur government in Centre kom’a August 3, 2012 nikho a ILP thumna a lekha ana thot chu sanpeh ana hi tapon, JCILPS kiphin na denkhat chu ana losam tai. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Joint Secretary (Northeast) Shambhu Singh chun Mizoram, Nagaland, chule Arunachal Pradesh tilou state dang’a ILP chesah nading tohgon akinei poi; hiche hi Article 19 toh kikal ahi tin ana seidoh-e.

Centre in Manipur government ILP demand asan peh lou phatchun JCILPS in Manipur Assembly (Manipur Inpi) in daan thah khat Article 19(5) noija asem din angeh tan, hitoh kilhon chun State Assembly in July 12, 2013 nikho chun Regulation khat semdoh din kiphatsah na ana neitai. Ahin hiche jong chu alosam kit tan ahi.

Aban in 2014 Monsoon Session masang chun Dy.CM Gaikhangam Chairman, chule MLA RK Anand Convenor hinan All Political Parties Committee (APPC) chu ana kisemdoh in ahi. Hiche Committee chun December 10, 2014 nikho chun point-6 jaona phengmai 282 a sa recommendation chu Manipur government kom’ah ana pelut tai. Hitichun Manipur Legislative Assembly in Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants, and Migrants Workers (MRVT&MW) Bill, 2015  chu March 16, 2015 chun ana pass tan, hinlah Bill a chun APPC recommendation poimo jouse ana kijaosah tapoi.

APPC recommendation ho kijaosah louna Bill chun Manipur sung’a indigenous people ho huhtup jou ponte tin JCILPS in kiphinna akhoh cheh in ahin bolpan kit tan, Bill copy ho jong mei in ana halvam uvin ahi.

Hiche MRVT&MW Bill chu Opposition MLA ho titah lou, Congress MLA phabep in jong ana deisah pouve tin thuso hon ana sodoh uve. ILP thumna a kiphin adeh a JCILPS hohin MRVT&MW Bill hi daan (Act) hung hijeng jong leh Indigenous mi ho huhbit na hilouva, suhgepna joh hiding ahi tia asei’u ahi.

JCILPS in MRVT&MW Bill, 2015 adeilou utoh kilhon in July 5, 2015 vel chun kiphinna ahin pankit tauvin, State Assembly in Monsoon Session sung’a Bill thah khat pass abol din angeh tauvin ahi.

JCILPS Students’ le Women’s Wing ho makai na a kiphinna ahung chejom lai July 8, 2015 nikho chun Ananda Singh Higher Secondary Academy a Class-XI (Science) simlai Sapam Robinhood chu Police hon ahin kaplih kha tauve. Hiche thilsoh hi Hatta-Minuthong kom ahin, Simlai dang phabep pi jong ana kisukha’e. Robinhood hi police hon Simlai hung kijot ho delcheh nading a Rubber Bullet leh Tear Gas ho akap na uva kisukha a ahinkho ana chan ahi.

Robinhood kithana hin JCILPS kiphinna hatah in ahin khohset sah tan, Phaisung a July 8 nilhahlam nidan 4:00cn a kipat chun CrPC Section 144 noija Curfew akikoi keo hilouvin School leh College jouse jong ana kikhah tan ahi. Alangkhat ah JCILPS in public curfew akoi in, mipi hon jong muntin ah kiphinna ahin boljom jing tauve.

Hiche kikah lah ahin Monsoon Session la akichai tan, Bill thah la akisei doh tapoi. JCILPS in jong akiphinna ahin suhat cheh cheh tan, ajonan government jong umthim thei talou in Manipur Assembly Special Session chu July 15 nikhon ana tou in MRVT&MW Bill, 2015 chu lahdoh (withdraw) ana bol tai. Hiche hi Manipur thusim a Bill pass kibolsa kinung lahdoh amasapen ahi nalaiye. Geldoh thei khatchu hiche Bill hi Manipur Governor Syed Ahmed in jong nopna (assent) pelou a ‘President Consideration’ ding’a ‘reserved’ ana bol ahi.

Government in Bill thah semdoh nadin Lhathum anatem in, hinlah JCILPS chun ni-15 sung a semchai din gihna ana nei tai. Tuchung a JCILPS pachat aum natah khat chu Indigenous people ho vengbit thei ding Bill thah khat semdoh ahi kahsea government toh kihouna kinei lou ding ahi tin ana pang uve.

Hiche article kijih chan hin CrPC Section 144 akikoi jing nalai in, JCILPS kiphinna jong ache jom jing nalaiye. Chule Robinhood longdamsa jong JNIMS Morgue a aum nalai in, hijeh hin ILP demand hin ichan ahin phah ding seithei ahi naipoi.

Tua Tribal ho lungthim a umchu ILP hi amu mong nadiuvem; ILP le ST demand hi ipi mong mong ham; chule hiche demand hohi hinmu uleh Tribal ho ichan in eihin tongkha thei diuvem tiho hi ahi. Meilhei te hibangse ahung so nung uvin Kuki Inpi in athu seikhomna ana nei uvin; Naga People’s Front (NPF), Manipur State Unit in jong tosotna thu ana seipan tai. All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM-T) leh All Manipur Tribal Union (AMTU) in August 1, 2015 nikho leh ST demand thu a Public Consultative meeting khat nei ding tohgon anei uve.

Tun, Meilhei te ILP demand hi ahithei mong nadem ti anave kit-u hite.

Inner Line Permit System hi agomlam’a seiding hileh ahimo ding chu ahipoi. Ajeh chu State leh Central government in aphatsah pouleh hijeng thei ahi. Hinlah ivetthuh jep leh Manipur a ILP ahung kikoi ding hi ahahsat na tampi aum’e.

(i)                 ILP hi State thanei na hilou, Centre thanei na ahijeh in Manipur government in Bill ijat pass bol jong leh Centre in aphatsah lou leh hithei lou ding ahi. India Constitution Seventh Schedule khu ivet leh Union List a Entry-81 na ah “Inter-State Migration; Inter-State quarantine” tin akipe’e.

(ii)               Manipur hi State neocha ahi in, Parliament a MP jeng jong Lok Sabha-2, chule Rajya Sabha-khat (agom’a-3) bou um ahi. Hiche jeh hin State government in Centre athujo (influence) joupoi. Uttar Pradesh khun Lok Sabha MP-80, chule Rajya Sabha-31 anei ahi. Hiche jeh khun Centre in UP thusei amoh notthap thei poi. Northeast sung’a state lienpen Assam in Lok Sabha MP-14, chule Rajya Sabha-7 aneiye.

(iii)             ILP hi Meilhei ho bou in demand abol, jatdang in atosot lou ahijeh in Centre hinvet ding in ‘logical’ hijou ponte. Among a Manipur a cheng jouse kipang khom jong leh ahithei nading hahsa nalai ahi.

(iv)             ILP akiti teng Mayang ho ven nading ahi jeh in Centre lang a Kol hon ajat chanpi ho boi nading tohgon ahin neidiu tahsan aum poi. (Mayang akiti teng Meilhei ho kiloikhomna phabep—International Meitei Forum (IMF), Meitei Youth Forum (MYF), chule IPAK—hohin Kuki te jong asimtha jiu ahi.)

(v)               India Look East/Act East policy a ding a Manipur jong hi mun poimo tah khat ahi. Government in Smart City khat sah ding, Moreh hi Trade Centre khat a semdoh ding, chule Trans-Asian Highway jong jotpa sah ding ti lunggel tampi anei ahi. Chule Myanmar (Burma) leh Southeast Asia gam hotoh kijop mat na a jong Manipur hi mun poimo tah khat hikit ahi. Hijeh a hi Centre in gamdang toh kiloimat na a ‘Speed-breaker’ a pangthei ding jouse chu alahdoh nom tei ding ahiye. Akhuti leh ILP ahin koibe ding chu thil hahsa tah ahi.

(vi)             ILP chesah nading a JCILPS in angeh chu 1951 hi base year hiding, 1951 jou’a hunglut jouse chu indigenous a kisim thei lou ding tihi ahi. Hinlah 1951 langpeh base year a manding kiti chu thilbai ahi pon, ahithei nading lhomcha ahi.

(vii)           Meilhei ho hin demand dang jong tampi anei uve. Hiho lah a Article 3 Manipur a chesah lou ding; Manipur hi Hill State a declare bolding; Nam jouse daan kibang (uniform law) noi a koiding; state chom mihon Inmun achoh ding teng State government  phalna akilah masat ding; Upper House (Legislative Council ) semdoh ding tiho hi ahi. Alangkhat a Tribal honjong demand tampi inei kit uve. Hijeh a hi demand khat kipe leh aban ban a hung umthei ahi tia Centre hi lung khaikhi jong himai thei ahi. 

Achung a hung kiseidoh point hohi ivet leh Manipur a ILP ache ding hi thil hahsa tah chu ahi. Hinlah mi tampi in India Constitution Article 19 (5) dungjui in ahimo nading aum poi ati nalai uve. Hiche article ahin hiti hin akisun’e:

19. “(5) Nothing in sub-clauses (d) and (e) of the said clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevent the State from making any law imposing, reasonable restrictions on the exercise of any of the rights conferred by the said sub-clauses either in the interests of the general public or for the protection of the interests of any Scheduled Tribe.”

Hiche Article 19(5) Meilhei ten aha minphah nau hi “in the interests of the general public” kiti thucheng jeh hi hidin tahsan aum’e. Hinlah hoitah a ivet leh ST ho aha focus joh dan muthei ahi. Chule sub-clauses (d) and (e) ati hi Article 19(1) noija Right to Freedom gup kipe holah a ni ahin, hitihin akisun’e: 

“(d) to move freely throughout the territory of India;

  (e) to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India;”

Hiche hi Union List Entry-81 na a toh chun ivet kah leh State khat in ILP amoh umsah jeng ding kiti hi kicheh tah in asei doh pon, hijong leh Union List a um, Centre thaneina ahi tivang kinelna bei ahi. Chule hiche hi Legal Expert ho tilou in moh hilchen thei ponte.

Hiche kikah lah a mi-phabep chun Manipur Assembly in Indigenous people ho huhjou ding Bill hoitah khat semdoh uhen lang Centre a pelut phot uhen; Centre in asanpeh-asanpehlou chu amathu ahi atiuve. Tuthah a hung kisei kit chu Assam a National Register of Citizens (NRC) kichesah jong khu Manipur a chesah thei ahi leh chesah ding ti ahikit-e.

July 21, 2015 nikho chun Minister Th.Debendra Chairman hina in Bill thah semdin five member committee khat ana kisemdoh in, Convenor din  M.Yaishkul, IAS, Special Secretary (Home), chule member din MLA thum – RK Anand, Dr.Ng Bijoy, N.Biren – lhendoh ana hiuve. Hiche a hi JCILPS member hojong hapbe thei hidiu ahin ichan ahin phah diu ham vetphot ding ahi tai.

Tun, Schedule Tribe (ST) demand thu ana vekit-u hite.

‘Tribe’ kiti hi Sociologist holeh Anthropologist hon thinglhang miho het nading a ana semdoh-u thucheng ahi in, Schedule Tribe (ST) akiti teng India Constitution in thinglhangmi jat phabeppi hetna a asem thucheng ahi kit-e. Hijeh hin Tribe le Schedule Tribe hi lientah in akikhe-e.

United Nations (UNO) jeng in jong koiho hi “Indigenous” hidiu ham ti asei pon, hinlah “self-identification” hi thupi pen in agel’e. Alangkhat a “Indigenous” (agam a cheng masate) hina inei lou leh UN noija protection kimu jeng thei kitlou ahi; hiche title hi agam-agam a government in apeh ding ahikit-e. Hitobang ma hin India Constitution in jong ST hina hi kicheh tah in asei pon, ahin ST hohi alhangpi in Indigenous people in akigel’e. Mizoram, Nagaland, chule Arunachal Pradesh hohi abon’a ST State jeng ahiuve. Hiche hi ivetleh Meilhei ten ST status demand abol uhi Manipur ST State hisah-a, chujou teng ILP ham, ahilou jong leh India Daanpi noija protection del ding tina hidin tahsan aume.

Tribal atamlang in Meilhei te ST demand bol hi reservation deichat na jeh ahi tin asei jin, hinlah reservation hi adeichat-u tamtah lah a khat mai mai ahi. Ajeh chu reservation sang a Gam (Land) thupi jo ahi nalaiye.

Aboina tah khat hi India Constitution in Tribal ho protect bol nading daan tampi semdoh jong leh koiho hi ST hidiu ham ti hi kicheh tah in ape poi. India Constitution a Article 366(25) na in hiti hin aseiye:

“Scheduled Tribes” means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution;

Article 342 (1-2) na in hiti hin asei kit-e.

(1) The President may with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State or Union territory, as the case may be.

(2) Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause (1) any tribe or tribal community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.

Hiche toh kisai hin Article 244 (1-2) in Fifth le Sixth Schedule thu ah hiti hin asei-e:

(1) The provisions of the Fifth Schedule shall apply to the administration and control of the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in any State other than the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

(2) The provisions of the Sixth Schedule shall apply to the administration of the tribal areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Fifth Schedule ahin “Schedule Area” hi State governor in recommend abol dungjui a President in phondoh na anei hochu hidiu ahi tin asei in, hinlah kicheh tah in ape poi. Chule Sixth Schedule vang hi tutua Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, chule Tripura a Tribal Area ho’a ding ahi. Hiche kalval hin Constitution in ST status hilchet na ape pon, aphat phat a kisem Regulation/Order ho a kiche dan in aumsah-e. Hetthei khat chu Manipur a ADC hi Fifth Schedule jong hilou, Sixth Schedule jong hikit lou, Manipur government in adei dan tah a akisem District Council ahi.

Alhang pi in ST hi thinglhangmi tina in hejong leuhen ST jouse thinglhang mi ahi deh poi. Assam Brahmaputra Valley (phaicham) lah-a cheng ho, adeh a Bodo hojong khu phaicham mi ahi vang uva ST status kipe kit ahi.

Hiti ho jouse hi ivet leh Meilhei hohi ST ahimo nadiu aum pon, ahitei tei nadiu jong aum dehpoi. Politics thu ahijeh in aseilang lang themding dinmun chu ahi. Shambhu Singh in ILP hi Article 19 toh akikal’e ati a, Meilhei hon Article 19(5) noija daan semding ati kit uhi ani a adih na umgel ahi.

Abangloi kitma chun Meilhei ten “General” a kon ST adel uhi status hung kumsuh dan in asei in, hiche jong hi dihthou; Meilhei intellectual phabep in jong asei ahi. Hinlah hitobang demand bol hi ama ho sehseh ahi pon, adang tampi jong aum’e. Vetsah nan, ‘Jats’ hohi masang khang a pat a Jatlen (Kshetriya Caste), Gal-hangte tia kiletsah tah a ana um ahiuvin, tuhin OBC status hatah in demand abol uve. Chule Assam seh seh a jong ST demand bol hi Nam gup um ahi. Ijemtia Meilhei ho ST status demand hi ahung machal khah leh Meetei-Pangal hojong kigo sa ahikit uve. Hiche hi Hindu te Caste system toh vetkah ding in ahung kumsuh hijong leh, tulai khang hi sum (money) vaihop na ahi tahjeh in detmo ding ahi poi.

Adeh in Manipur hi State neocha, hiche lah a 90 per cent thinglhang-gam ahi a 10 per cent tobang bou phaicham ahi hi Meilhei te dia dei umlou tah ahi. Ajeh chu amahon Tribal ho gam akichoh theilou, thinglhang gam a cheng theilou ahiuvin; tribal miho vang chu phaigam a jong kicheng mo lou ahi. Tu a Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Motbung, Sapormeina, chule thinglhang gam muntin a phaicham miho ichensah uhi agam a umho mitmo na ahi. Naga ho hi Gam ngailu ahiutoh kilhon in jatdang kom’a Gam ajoh behseh pouve. Thingnoi hon jong tax themkhat amu pouleh Kol-le-vai jong amoh lutsah sah dan in aum in, Meilhei thingnoi hon Phaisung a jatdang koima Inmun chohsah louva akoi’u toh hin ivet kah le kikhe lheh jeng chu ahi.

Tuhin Churachandpur leh Tamenglong ah Oil exploration/drilling bol in MNC phabep ahung lut tan, hiche jeng jong hi Tribal ho sang a Meilhei hon apohnat joh dan in akilang’e. Ajeh chu ipi project hung jong leh thingnoi hon sum themkhat amu pouleh hithei jeng ahi.

Tu tadi hin Meilhei te ILP leh ST demand bol hi ichan ahung lhun ding akihe naipoi. Hijong leh phat geisang masang a kigot ding chu thilpha hiding ahi. ‘Survival of the fittest’ kiti khang ahi tah jeh in, chanvou jouse kichu nading khang chu ahi nai. Adeh a thinglhang a i-Gam (Land) hou hi hatah a ihung kichu peh diu ahi nalaiye. Hinlah min ichan ding khat eihung chu tah leh defend (kiven) ding dan beh het ding agam neite mopoh na ahi. Chule muntin a moh pen pen a, thu moh sei sei phat jong ahi tapoi.***

Reference kimangho:

1. The Constitution of India; Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

2. Internet: UNO, ILO, Wikipedia, Facebook, soniasarkar26, etc.

3. Local Newspapers: The Sangai Express, Hueiyen Lanpao, The People’s Chronicle, Imphal Free Press, Poknapham.

4. National Dailies: The Hindu, Times of India, The Indian Express, The Telegraph, The Statesman, The Economic Times, Meghalaya Times.

5. Online News: e-Pao, KanglaOnline, ManipurONLINE. 

(Article written for KHOHUI Magazine)