The All Manipur Tribal Union (AMTU) on Sunday announced its endorsement of the ADC Bill 2021 of the Hill Area Committee (HAC) and the call for total bandh in all hill districts in Manipur by the All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM).
The All Tribal Students Union Manipur on Saturday announced a 24-hour shutdown in all hill districts of the state from Sunday midnight, expressing strong resentment against the state government over non-tabling of the Autonomous District Council Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
The AMTU said in a statement that the decision to endorse the ADC bill and the bandh called by ATSUM was taken during the emergency executive meeting held on August 21, 2021 evening at its head office refuted the state government's returning the ADC Bill 2021 without tabling it in the ongoing 13th Assembly session.
It said that the ADC Bill is definitely a Constitutional provision enshrined under the Article 371 C. However, the state government interpreted it into ethnic communal tone by unethically favouring the valley community's sentiment.
The AMTU appealed to every hill village headman, chairman and chief to fully support ATSUM's bandh call along with its village volunteers with every possible resource, stating that the state government has been politically suppressing the tribal people in Manipur since the last 50 years, denying their constitutional privileges.
"There are certain times that the state government along with its valley CSOs voicing to even abrogate Article 371C in the Indian Parliament, which is obvious that the tribal people in Manipur will never enjoy their inherent constitutional rights and obligations,” the AMTU stated.
AMTU further stated: “We tribal people are aware of our Constitutional rights. Hence, it's better that we move forward for a separate administration under the constitutional provisions for political emancipation than remaining under one-sided policy government".
