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Manipur : Tribals’ meet |
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Tribal communities of Manipur will submit a charter of demands to the state government for the ‘protection’ of their rights and ‘development’ of the backward hill districts in accordance with the resolutions adopted at the two-day open dialogue. The discussions, attended by several leaders of the communities, including legislators and chairman of Hill Areas Committee in the Assembly, Songchingkhup, concluded on December 7.
A resolution called for ‘honouring and respecting’ the ‘political aspirations’ of different communities living in the state.
They demanded the extension of the provisions of the Sixth Schedule in the hill districts. ‘This will ensure speedy development and protection of the tribals from exploitation,’ the resolution said.
Another resolution took exception to the Okram Ibobi Singh government’s move to maintain status quo of the existing 60 Assembly constituencies. The delimitation exercise should be carried out on the basis of the 2001 census report, it said.
The government’s opposition to change the number of constituencies is based on the argument that there was abnormal growth of population in some of districts while at some places, it was abysmally low. The tribal leaders felt that the government’s move was an attempt to deny the rights of the hill people.
The participants in the meet also resolved that the Centre should initiate a peace process to bring insurgency to an end in the hill districts.
They, however, rejected the proposal to extend the Manipur Land Records and Land Reforms Act to the hills. No alien land law should be implemented in the hills, the resolution said.
Noting that the state government has not implemented the reservation policy for the tribals properly, a resolution recommended the setting up of a review committee comprising tribal leaders to monitor the implementation. It demanded that the funds from the Union Tribal Development Ministry should also be used for the benefit of the tribal communities settled in different pockets of the valley.
The leaders acknowledged the inadequate representation of women in decision-making civil bodies of the tribal communities.
A source said the leaders of different communities expressed their anguish at the disparity in development in the hills and the valley. ‘The resolutions were adopted unanimously. We will be pressing for their implementation,’ he said.
Migrants’ issue
The influential United Council of Manipur (UCM) that spearheaded the momentous June uprising in Manipur has come out with a comprehensive demographic study that chides ethnic groups for targeting one another while ignoring a silent invasion that could lead to migrants constituting as much as half of the state’s population in 30 years’ time.
The 231-page report, titled Influx of Migrants into Manipur: A Threat to the Indigenous Ethnic People, was the result of a minute analysis of census reports and statistical handbooks published by the statistics and economics department. Koijam Sethajit, a lecturer in political science at Imphal College and a member of the study team, described the report as an indictment of political patronage of migrants.
According to the report, the majority of these migrants are from neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Shethajit said it was a shame that various ethnic groups were locked in conflict even as a common but invincible threat was taking shape in the form of influx.
‘In 30 years’ time, all the ethnic groups will be either marginalised or wiped out. The issue of territorial integrity or other such agendas will then be rendered meaningless,’ he said. ‘The people of the Northeast should join hands to fight against influx.’
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