Manipur Chief Miniter Okram Ibobi Singh and his deputy Gaikhangam seem to have realised that they cannot pass the new anti-migrant Bill, their brainchild, during the Assembly session beginning Friday simply because all sections of people are against it. As there will be just two sittings they had planned to pass it on Monday.
A convention held recently in Imphal had spurned the draft Bill, titled The Manipur Regulation of Non-Locals Bill 2016. Advocate activist Khaidem Mani told The Hindu that there was not a word about the protection of the indigenous peoples in the draft bill which mainly sought to facilitate the entry and settlement of the non-locals. Though it contained some regulations a non-local must observe, it was silent on punishment for flouting the regulations.
