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Recalling Biren’s 2017 magic

IFP Editorial: The only sane voice comes from the representative from Ukhrul Ram Muivah, a former bureaucrat, who said that almost 50 per cent of the demands made by ATSUM has been incorporated in the Seventh amendment while appealing to the state to release the ATSUM leaders and talk.

ByIFP Bureau

Updated 7 Aug 2022, 7:51 pm

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Clearly, it is a stand-off between the government and All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM). While ATSUM remains steadfast in its demand for complete overhauling of the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, the state government and Hill Areas Committee (HAC) tried to usher in a diluted version of the proposed amendments suggested by ATSUM and the previous HAC seeking to expand the mandate of HAC.

In the just concluded state assembly session, two bills were introduced. While the house passed the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2022 which increased the number of District Councils to 10, the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2022 was referred to the Hill Areas Committee after a motion by Tribal Affairs and Hills Minister Letpao Haokip, who said that there were some technical errors in the bill and needs to be examined by the committee.

The two bills were, in fact, brought to the house after due deliberations among the tribal MLAs who were elected in the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly. And one could understand as to why the seventh amendment was put off for the time being.

The HAC in the last term was at loggerheads with the state government and teamed up with ATSUM in their effort to dictate terms to the government. The present HAC, although not that aggressive, is aware of the enormous pressure from certain elements, including students’ organisations and CSOs.

ALSO READ: ATSUM leaders arrested over bandh call; Emergency shutdown in Kangpokpi, Churachandpur

What ATSUM wants is the proposed 2021 amendment which seeks to practically separate the administration and governance of the hill areas from the Manipur government on the premise that the hill areas had been neglected by the state administration thereby causing disparity in development.

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And what they conveniently chose to forget is the reality of their elected representatives who had been enriching themselves from the funds meant for development of hill areas.

Take for example, the case of misappropriation of ADC funds which was recently highlighted in the media. Earlier, we had written about the leakages in development funds sanctioned through the ADCs. It seems nobody is interested with the issue of leakages of development funds poured through the ADCs in the last few decades whether there is an elected body or not.

The first case to be brought to the public domain is the ADC fund misappropriation case of Tamenglong district. Lokayukta had earlier directed Manipur Police to file an FIR in the ADC fund misappropriation case of Tamenglong district after finding prima facie evidence.

It involved at least 21 ADC officials, members and engineers, including the then CEO Tamenglong and present HAC Chairman D Gangmei. It was alleged that the Autonomous District Council (ADC), Tamenglong had spent a sum of more than 18 crores for developmental works.

If reports are to be believed, investigation in the case of Senapati, Ukhrul and Chandel districts are already in an advanced stage and action may follow anytime soon. The allegations of fund misappropriation first came out in the open through queries by RTI activists who were threatened to withdraw their RTI applications by NSCN (I-M).

ALSO READ: Arrested ATSUM members remanded in four-day custody

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Having said that, we come back to the present impasse. The only sane voice comes from the representative from Ukhrul Ram Muivah, a former bureaucrat, who said that almost 50 per cent of the demands made by ATSUM has been incorporated in the Seventh amendment while appealing to the state to release the ATSUM leaders and talk.

Meanwhile, the state had arrested some leaders of ATSUM for calling a highway bandh which subsequently led to indefinite economic blockade. And slowly, the confrontation is getting a communal tinge with some ultra-Meitei groups sealing the offices of ATSUM and subsequent violent protests from tribal students.

ALSO READ: ADC bill and Manipur elections

It is good that, six students’ organisations have called for restraint while also appealing for calling off the blockade. Now, the ball is with the state government and we have to see how Chief Minister N Biren Singh wriggles out of the present impasse.

If we recall, he ended the extended economic blockade on the national highways called by UNC and also the Churachandpur imbroglio after coming to power in 2017 as if by magic. 

EDITORIAL

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Tags:

ATSUMeconomic blockadeADC fundsmisappropriation of ADC fundsHACADC Bill

IFP Bureau

IFP Bureau

IMPHAL, Manipur

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