The All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) under the banner of North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) held a protest in front of its head office located at DM University campus in Imphal on Wednesday, demanding that its 12-point charter of demands be fulfilled immediately.
On the sidelines of the protest, AMSU president Haobijam Chalamba Meitei told the media that the Central government must immediately fulfil the charter of demands.
The demands included proper implementation of inner line permit system in the entire Northeast region and updating of NRC, 1951 as a base year. He said that though the Manipur government has implemented the ILP system in the state, it does not have any provision to safeguard the indigenous people of Manipur.
The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) is also continuing its movement and the Central government should implement the ILP system with proper policies in order to safeguard the indigenous people of Manipur, he said.
The AFSPA, 1958 should also be repealed completely from the entire Northeastern region, including Manipur, he added.
The Citizenship Amendment Act should be repealed completely from the entire Northeastern region, said Chalamba. He said the demands further included the immediate implementation of Assam Accord and solving the inter-state boundary as well as international border issues.
Regarding the education policies related to the Northeastern region, the Central government should adopt an educational policy for the NE region based on the cultural and history of the region, he said.
More universities, technical and vocational institutes, medical and engineering colleges, and research centres should be established. Moreover, the Central government should introduce more courses in the colleges and universities of NE region, he added.
The students’ body further seeks formulation of a comprehensive policy for economic development for NE region and the establishment of an administrative centre of Act East Policy in the NE region itself, said Chalamba.
He said to solve the issue of unemployment immediately from the NE region, the Central government should declare NE region a special employment zone where all the Grade III and IV of central offices must be kept 100 per cent reserved only for NE people.
The Central government should provide a special constitutional status for NE people with rights over land and natural resources and a separate time zone should be kept for NE region as well, said Chalamba.
Regarding the refugees related problems, the Central government should solve the issue of Chakma and Hajong of Arunachal Pradesh immediately, he said.
The student body also demanded to look into the issue of people from Myanmar crossing the border and coming into NE to escape persecution, and help arrange provision of food and shelter and other welfare amenities till the situation improves so that they can return after the law and order situation in Myanmar becomes normal.
The protesters held placards that read, ‘implement ILP in the entire NE region’, ‘Update NRC’, ‘Repeal AFSPA, 1958’, ‘provide special constitutional status for NE People’ among others.
