N. Biren, who leads the BJP-led coalition Ministry in Manipur, has started a roadshow from Saturday to create awareness among the people about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019 and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) which has been imposed in Manipur.
Mr. Biren chose the Thoubal district, the bastion of the Opposition Congress and a long-time home turf of Opposition leader Okram Ibobi and his family. Mr. Ibobi became Chief Minister thrice after being elected from the district. Now he is the MLA and CLP leader. Besides, his wife Okram Landhoni was elected from the district. But later she made room for her son Surajkumar Okram, who is now a Congress MLA.
Mr. Biren who led the roadshow, which had an impressive turnout, said, “The balls for the present day turmoil were set rolling during the Congress rule at the Centre and Manipur. Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister who had assured the people that nothing will be done to upset the territory of Manipur”.
He said that he was ready to engage in a debate if it was made out that Manipur’s territory and integrity would be compromised by the CAA. He asked, “Will the people of Manipur block the entry of Manipuri diaspora including Manipuri Muslims in Bangladesh if they are persecuted?”
However Y. Dilipkumar, convener of the MANPAC, an apex body of the five civil organisations opposing the CAA, says that it is not the time to celebrate and urged the people to introspect whether they ought to take part in the BJP’s rally in support of the CAA. He was arrested at 11 p.m. on Friday and released without any conditions at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Mr. Ibobi said, “People welcomed with garlands Biren and others when they returned home after the CAB was not passed in the Rajya Sabha. And now the BJP in Manipur is supporting the same CAA”.
It was pointed out that the influx of immigrants into Manipur on the basis of the provisions of the CAA cannot be stopped by the ILP. Though there is ILP in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh presence of outsiders is high. This is because of the fact that there are some flaws in the State mechanism.
Mr. Ibobi says that the Congress would continue to agitate against the CAA. On the other hand, the Manipur government seems to be determined to launch a crackdown. For instance, the CPI and three other Left parties had called a general strike against the CAA. L. Sotinkumar, CPI State secretary, was arrested and detained in judicial custody. He faces sedition charge.
