The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) has decided to call a 24-hour total bandh in the entire hill districts on August 3.
ATSUM expressed strong resentment against the alleged state government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the wish and desire of the tribal people for the tabling of the HAC recommended “The Manipur (Hill Areas) ADC Bill 2021” in the ongoing 2nd Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly and the deceitful act of the incumbent HAC members in deviating from its previous position.
The union also decided to intensify its agitation from August 5.
The apex body of the tribal students stated that it is constrained to call a 24 hours total shut down with effect from 6:00 pm of August 3 to 6:00 pm of August 4 in the entire hill districts of the state while adding that the total shutdown will be followed by intense form of agitations from August 5.
The student body's Information and Publicity Secretary, Khaiminlen Doungel, stated that ATSUM, in its continued selfless and relentless effort for strengthening the Autonomous District Councils as mandated by the Article 371C of the Constitution of India read with the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Orders 1972, is compelled to resort to agitation demanding the tabling of the HAC recommended "The Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill 2021" in the ongoing 2nd Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly.
He continued that the decision to call the bandh is in pursuance of the resolutions adopted in the 2nd ATSUM General Assembly, 2022 at Haipi Village, Sadar Hills, and resolutions adopted at the subsequent meeting of ATSUM, ANSAM, KSO-GHQ, Federating Units of ATSUM dated 28th July 2022, virtual meeting with Federating Units of ATSUM dated 31st July 2022 to demand for tabling of the HAC recommended “The Manipur (Hill Areas) ADC Bill 2021” in the ongoing 2nd Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly.
The student body appealed to all private and government educational institutes, government offices, business establishments, private vehicles, truckers, and any other transporters and the general public for cooperation.
Essential services like medical, power, media, and water supply will be exempted from the purview of the total shutdown.
