Joint Committee on ILP conducts survey in Barak Circle

JIRIBAM, Sep 20 : The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System, Kangleipak together with student organisations and media persons today conducted a field survey around Barak Circle here.

Briefing media persons after the survey, representatives of the joint committee observed that Jiribam sub-division has around 28,000 voters as per records available in the electoral roll. Out of them around 20,000 are illegal migrants while indigenous people constitute just 8000.

Though Barak Circle is a part of Manipur, the local people have been denied the opportunity to study in their own language and alphabets. Seeking attention of the ZEO and authority concerned towards this shameful reality, they also appealed to make necessary corrections of the lop-sided policy under which Meiteis were prohibited from contesting Panchayat election in certain areas of Jiribam on the ground that the particular areas were reserved for a certain community.

The State Government should make necessary arrangements so that Jiribam police can check influx effectively.

Interacting with the accompanying media persons, Kshetrimayum Bisheshwar of Lamtai Khunou said that his daughter could not study in her mother tongue. Netaji Govt High School where she is reading in class VII is a Bengali medium school where Manipur was reportedly banned. Later in the afternoon, an awareness programme was held at JIMPAL office, where among others joint committee co-convenors Sapamcha Jadumani, Th Ratan and Kh Ratan were present. It is reported that a public meeting has been convened at Town Hall here tomorrow on the same issue.