IT News
Imphal Oct 9:
The All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) had urged the President of India, Droupadi Murmuji urging to intervene the passing of three Bills namely – Bill No. 14, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seven Amendment) Bill 2022; Bill No.15, The Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council’s (Sixth Amendment) Bill 2022 and Bill No. 16, The Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council’s (Seventh Amendment) Bill 2022, stating that it violated the provisions of constitutions of India particularly Article 371 C by the Government of Manipur.
Fourteen Tribal Ex-Parliamentarians comprising Ex – MPs, Ex – Ministers and Ex- MLAs ( Ex – Members of the HAC) sought the intervention of the President of India, Droupadi Murmuji for violating the provisions of constitutions of India particularly Article 371 C by the Government of Manipur.
In a memorandum submitted to the President on 10th August 2022, the tribal ex- parliamentarians (Fourteen Tribal Ex-Parliamentarians comprising Ex – MPs, Ex – Ministers and Ex- MLAs ( Ex – Members of the HAC) had raised serious concerns regarding the unconstitutional procedures and violation of constitutional pro-visions during 2nd session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly. The three bills namely (1) Bill No. 14, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seven Amendment) Bill 2022 (2) Bill No.15, The Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council’s (Sixth Amendment) Bill 2022 and (3) Bill No. 16, The Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council’s (Seventh Amendment) Bill 2022 had bypassed the interest of the hill people and shifted the authority of the district council to the state government and undermined its mandate. The sixth Amendment was unconstitutionally passed in the guise of Money Bill and instead of tabling the already recommended bill, the government had referred a new bill to the HAC.
The ATSUM statement said that such attempts of forcefully overlooking the constitutional rights of HAC stated in the scheduled matters and directly shifting the mandate of the autonomous district council to the State Government can only be done through constitutional amendment and not by a mere State Assembly since this provision is given through Article 371 C.
It added, the erstwhile “The Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill 2021 was unanimously recommended by the HAC following the rules of procedure. Yet, the State Government had without any stated mandate kept the recommended bill in abeyance and introduced another bill that was not recommended by the HAC.
Such blatant overriding of Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business rightly requires rectification through the intervention of the President. ATSUM highly applauds the new President of India for promptly stepping in and initiating action to safeguard the constitutional provisions. We hope the unconstitutional hegemonic procedures inside the state Assembly would be promptly rectified and that this would remain a deterrent. We also urge the state government again to respect the constitutional rights of the hill people and table the ADC Bill 2021 as assured through a Memorandum of Understanding dated 25th November 2021 signed between State Government and Tribal Students’ Organisations represented by ATSUM, ANSAM and KSO-GHQ.
