Exempt Manipur from Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, urges CM Biren Singh

Manipur will get Inner Line Permit system, says Amit Shah

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. | File

Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha on Monday that Manipur will be brought under the Inner Line Permit system, thereby exempting it from the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had earlier said that the State should be exempted from the

Bill that was introduced and debated in the House.

Speaking to

The Hindu , Mr. Singh said, “We are not opposed to the Bill. We want exemption. Our land is very small and population also less. Home Minister Amit Shah has assured us that Manipur will be exempted from CAB.”

Mr. Shah said in the Lok Sabha later, “Nagaland and Mizoram are protected by Inner Line Permit and it will continue to remain protected. Keeping in mind the feelings of Manipur, we’re including them into the Inner Line Permit as well,” he said.

As per the Bill, the amendments to the Citizenship Act, 1955, if approved will not apply to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in the sixth schedule of the Constitution and the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland that are protected by the Inner Line Permit (ILP). The addition of Manipur to the list of ILP-protected States means that the Bill will only be applicable in some parts of Tripura and Assam. Citizens of other States require ILP to visit the protected areas as per the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. This means that the illegal migrants from the six minority communities who will become Indian citizens as per the proposed amendment will not be able to take up jobs, open business or settle down in these areas and will require a permit to enter the States.

The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 by seeking to grant citizenship to undocumented and illegal non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Several northeast States including BJP-ruled Manipur have erupted in protests against the Bill.

There are apprehensions that ‘outsiders’ could settle in these areas impacting the indigenous communities and local tribes.

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