State government’s inaction or perhaps its inability to frame strictures echoing the sentiments of the JCILPS demands is finally putting everybody in jeopardy. Apprehensions about the safety and continuity of the indigenous population have converted the volunteers of JCILPS into some sort of aggressive beings by taking the law in their hands. There is nothing to be surprised when these volunteers finally resorted to such aggressiveness.The verification process of the non- locals by them are a serious issue, it is playing with the sentiments; to be precise, with the sentiments of the non locals, who had come here to earn their livelihoods. There is no reason, why these non locals who were told to show their identification cards by some self appointed volunteers not to feel humiliated. Some might even bide their time for revenge. It is worth recalling here that a similar case happened in the late 1990s when similar protests were reaching its height. During those years, a right wing terrorist group had threatened to impose tax on all the Manipuri students studying in various parts of the mainland.Had the state government took exceptional care of certain issues like Inner Line Permit system, the hatred feelings which might have arisen between the people of mainland India and the locals of the state could have been sorted out, even averted. As it is well understood that even local persons were picked up for verification by police commando during search operations, it is definitely not wrong in checking any persons without valid identification documents whether he may be a non local or a local. The issue here is very sensitive. When such checkings and verifications are done by the state law enforcers then matter will be justified and there will not be any chances for spreading hate feeling towards the people of the state by the people from the mainland. But if such an act is being committed by the local people, only if with the objective to save the indigenous people then there are chances that the non-local people may spread rumours to propagate the feeling of hatred and animosity. Even with such inherent risks of initiating a trend of mistrust and possible backlash, it seems unlikely that the various social organisations and concern bodies will give up the process of verifying non-locals anytime soon. The society is at a very crucial juncture at present, with the state Government apparently reluctant to stir things up with a definite decision and a clear stand on the issue on one hand, and the increasingly agitated civil societies and voluntary organisations intensifying their effort to weed out non locals of dubious identity which, according to them, have pushed up the instances of crime in the state. The Government should make a clear stand on the issue, and going by the present sentiments, it would be a wise, and perhaps the only plausible way to enact a directive which would ensure that the fears and apprehensions of the indigenous inhabitants of the state is allayed, while the unchecked influx of migrants is reduced to a manageable level. Sitting on the fence and catering to both sides of the divide as and when the convenience arises will not work this time. A swift and decisive action by the state Government will save everybody a lot of unnecessary tensions, inconveniences and disturbances.
