The All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) on Tuesday implored the state government to announce the date for winter session and urged not to repeat the history of disappointing the tribals by conveniently ignoring and dismissing legitimate rights of hill people in Manipur.
The ATSUM stated that the state government will be held accountable for the resumption of its temporarily suspended agitation in the event of a breach of an agreement by the state government.
The resolution was taken in its meeting with KSO-GHQ, ANSAM and its federation units on Tuesday, while urging the state government to announce the dates for the Winter Session.
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The ATSUM stated that failure on the part of the Government to fulfill its assurance would be regarded as befooling the tribal population in the state of Manipur once again. It urged the government not to repeat the history of disappointing the tribals by conveniently ignoring and dismissing tribal legitimate rights.
ATSUM stated that it fully endorsed the Hill Areas Committee Resolution No. 47/2021-(HAC) taken on November 29, 2021 in regard to the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill, 2021.
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The student body’s Information and Publicity Secretary, Khaiminlen Doungel stated that the state government is reminded of the past precedent that in August 2015, an Emergency Session was called and the controversial three Bills were introduced and passed in three days.
Doungel also said that the present Bill recommended by the Hill Areas Committee aims to reduce the acute development disparity between the hills and the valley and to improve governance for 41 per cent of the population of the state living in 90 per cent of the geographical area of Manipur.
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He said ATSUM, as representative of the tribal population, will not tolerate the unconstitutional denial of tabling a Bill that aims to usher equity and equality in Manipur.
The joint meeting also condemned the failure of the state government to materialize the agreed points of an agreement signed between the state government and ATSUM, ANSAM and KSO-GHQ representatives on November 25, 2021, within the stipulated time.
The sincerity of the state government to resolve the stalemate was strongly questioned in the meeting, it added.
