IMPHAL: Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Saturday said his government will put in the best possible effort to table a bill in the coming assembly session to propose the introduction of a regime similar to the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state. His statement comes at a time when the Joint Committee on ILP (JCILP) has stepped up its campaign in the state for enacting a law to regulate inflow of large number of 'outsiders' in the state.Speaking on the occasion of the Aajeevika Evam Kaushal Vikas Diwas in Imphal, Biren appealed to the people to be patient for the next three to four months, as necessary committees would be set up to consult all the stakeholders before drafting the bill. He would like to ensure that the bill is agreeable to people from the hill and the valley, Biren added.Implementing the ILP has been a long-standing demand of the people in the state, with there having been a lot of protests and bloodshed over the issue in the recent years. The Manipur assembly passed a resolution back in 2012 seeking the implementation of ILP in the region. But in 2015, the erstwhile chief minister Ikrom Ibobi Singh passed the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill, 2015 proposing to list all visitors, tenants and migrant workers in the state. The bill was, however, later withdrawn after widespread protests from the JCILP which claimed that the bill does not protect the rights of the indigenous people.The agitation had turned violent, leading to the death of a student and a curfew being imposed in the Greater Imphal area. Subsequently, three bills passed by the Manipur assembly in 2015 - the Manipur Land Reforms and Land Revenue (7th Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Manipur Shops and Establishment (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2015, and the Manipur Protection of Peoples Bill, 2015 - led to more protests in which nine people died and many left injured.The movement for ILP has hotted up again in the recent past with JCILP repeatedly threatening to launch fresh agitations and demanding that all stakeholders be consulted before drafting the proposed bill. Last month, JCILP had vandalised fruit stalls owned by 'non-locals' at Thangal Bazar, claiming that they had already given an ultimatum to the 'illegal migrant workers' to vacate the place.

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