The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) on Saturday threatened to resort to strong agitations anytime soon if the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Bill, 2021 is not tabled in the ongoing second session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly.
The student body stated that the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) members should own responsibility and resign on moral ground for allegedly deceiving the tribal people of the state and in the event of the union resorting to agitation, the state government should also be equally held accountable for failing to materialise the agreement of November 25, 2021.
ATSUM stated that Article 371 C of the Constitution of India read with the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Orders 1972 provided a scheme for separate administration of the hill areas of Manipur State through the Hill Areas Committee for Executive and Legislative affairs on scheduled subject matters.
The HAC through the Autonomous District Councils is empowered with provisions for the administration of the hill areas as defined in the 1972 Presidential orders, it stated.
Since its enactment, the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils, Act 1971 has gone through several amendments, yet the basic principle of developing the hill areas could not be achieved. It has resulted in disproportionate development between the hills and valley of Manipur during the said period as the principal Act including all amendments has served no purpose being toothless in nature with no financial, executive and legislative autonomy, ATSUM stated.
Therefore, the HAC had unanimously recommended the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill 2021 on August 16, 2021 to be tabled and passed into an Act in the 13th session of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly. But the state government flatly denied the introduction of the Bill in the said session of the Assembly, ATSUM stated.
It is learnt that the HAC is deviating from its previous position and opting on the new amendment of the Principal Act 1972 in the capacity of the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (Sixth Amendment) Bill 2022, it further stated.
“This deceitful Act of HAC is a big blunder and a deception of the tribal people which is unforgivable and will remain as an irremovable stain in the history of the tribal populace,” it asserted.
It continued that the state government is further aggravating the issue by trying to impose a mere amendment to the Principal Act of 1971, rather than the introduction of the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill 2021 in the ensuing 2nd Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly and enactment of the same into an Act.
