IT News
Imphal, Dec 09:
Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) in a statement said that All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) is turning the controversial Hill Areas Committee Bill into a Tribal versus Non-Tribal issue in Manipur. It is correct that the existing Hill Areas Committee have moved the Speaker to convene a special session of the State Assembly to discuss the issue. But that is for the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly to decide and not coerced through economic blockades and other strong arm tactics.
A statement by the organization said that recently a delegation of tribal legislators including the Outer Member of Parliament of Manipur had called on the President of India seeking his intervention but upon return to Manipur they have not made a single statement as to what the President had advised them instead. The second point is the Hill Areas Committee authorized by Article 371 C of the Constitution of India read with the Presidential Order of 1972 does not anywhere specifically indicates that it provides for separate scheme of administration and furthermore it only provides for safeguarding the interest of the Hill areas and does not in any way provide for a different scheme of administration.
Also the call for a separate Executive Officer to overseer the new Autonomous District Councils is similar to having a separate Chief Secretary for the Hill Areas and one for the Valley which the Constitution of India cannot allow at all. The question again is what has happened to the Demand for inclusion of the Hill areas under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.It might be recalled that the then Chief Minister of Manipur late R.K.Ranbir Singh had said okay to the 6th Schedule to be implemented i Manipur subject to local adjustments. Is the demand for the 6th Schedule a closed chapter now. And also why is ATSUM silent on the recent sifoening funds of developmental works in Senapati and subsequent death threat to four RTI activist of the same district who has sought the utilisation of the funds from the NSCN-IM
And lastly if it is for the development for the Hill area “I would like to quote a statement given by the late Works Minister and NPF Leader Sosho Lorho who when asked by our Luchingpurel,that you have been Works Minister for Manipur and all Major Contract areas in the hill areas have been given to the tribal contractors ,so why blame the Meiteis for non-implementation of developmental works in the Hill areas”.He is said to have replied laughing “if we do not blame the Meiteis then how will we win our elections. And the pertinent question to the Kuki Students’Organisation (KSO and the All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM) or the ATSUM is the move for the new ADC Bill the signal that the animosity between the Kukis and the Nagas can now said to be over a the Kukis Black Day of 13th September will no longer be observed and to the ANSAM is the pushing down of a bus filled with Naga passengers in Kotlen area a thing best be forgotten.Speaker Khemchand made the first mistake when he withdrew his order inducting Meitei MLAS into the HAC upon pressure,He should have simply referred the matter to the Supreme Court of India. And in this ADC Bill 2021 too he should also refer matter to the Apex and let the highest seat of Judiciary of the Country decide on it which will be binding on the tribals as well as the Non-tribals opposing the ADC Bill.
