The All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) on Wednesday suspended the economic blockade imposed along the highways in the state with immediate effect.
The student body had imposed the economic blockade since August 5 morning to press for its demands, including tabling of the Hill Areas Committee recommended ADC Bill, 2021 and release of its leaders who were earlier put in judicial custody.
ATSUM general secretary SR Andrea announced the union's decision to suspend the economic blockade while speaking to the media after convening a meeting with federating units of the apex tribal students’ body on Wednesday in Senapati and Kangpokpi.
Andrea said that ATSUM resolved to suspend the ongoing economic blockade, considering the hardships faced by the common people.
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ATSUM is firm on its demand for tabling of the ADC Bill, 2021 and the union will adopt democratic forms of agitations for the time being.
The student body had earlier called a bandh in all the hill districts on August 3. However, with the detention and subsequent arrest of its leaders by Manipur police prior to it, the student body had imposed emergency bandh on August 2. The same was converted into economic blockade on August 5.
The ATSUM general secretary maintained that their demand is to streamline the constitutional rights of the tribal communities under the Article 371 (C) read with the Presidential order of 1972.
The student body will mount pressure on the government to honour and materialise the agreement signed on November 25, 2021 without further delay, he added.
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Further urging the Hill Areas Committee to clearly state its position on the ADC Bill, 2021, he cautioned that ATSUM along with federating units will be compelled to intensify protests if the government and HAC failed to fulfil its demands at the earliest.
