IMPHAL, May 5: The 42-hour public curfew imposed by Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has begun from midnight today.
With the motive to strictly enforce the curfew, JCILPS’s student and women wings has asked all business establishments, private and government institutions, passenger vehicle services in the four valley districts to come to a standstill during the curfew period.
Speaking to media persons today prior to the curfew at their Keishampat office, JCILPS student’s wing convenor, Oinam Nandababu said that as announced earlier the JCILPS will go ahead with their public curfew to denounce Government’s delaying tactics in implementing the ILP system in Manipur from midnight of May 5 till 6 pm of May 7.
Stating that the JCILPS have made all the necessary preparations for the public curfew, the convenor appealed to the general public to extend their co-operation.
Media personnel, medical services, religious procession, water supply, electricity and essential services would be exempted from the purview of the public curfew, he said.
Oinam Nandababu further informed that in order to make the curfew effective, one member each from four valley districts have been appointed to strictly handle the situation in their respective areas.
He warned if any individuals who defy the curfew to bear the responsibility for any unwanted incidents.
In the meantime, the apex body JCILPS, also asked all the political parties in the state to announce whether they would allow non-locals to contest in the ensuing Imphal Municipal Corporation election slated for June this year.
Moreover, the political parties must also spell out their stance on deleting the names of non-locals from voter lists before the election, he said.
Pointing out that the JCILPS and the State Government had inked a seven-point agreement last year, Nandababu contended that of the agreed points the State Government could have acted on its own accord on three points without consulting or taking approval from the Centre.
However, the State Government has failed to take up any step regarding the matter even after eight months since the agreement was inked, he added.
JCILPS Women Wing convenor convener Lourembam Nganbi, appealed to the general public to extend their co-operation and support to make the agitations a successful one before adding that the women wing will continue with their agitation until their demands are fulfilled by the Government.