IMPHAL, October 11 (NNN): Many Congress MLAs in the hill districts of Manipur are coming under immense pressure from their supporters in their respective constituency to resign from MLAship as well as from the Congress party and join any other party if they are to contest again in the forthcoming Manipur Legislative Assembly polls due in few months' time. This development has come following the passing of the "three anti-tribal bills" last year in the Manipur Legislative Assembly and the subsequent announcement of the Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum (OMTF) and Joint Action Committee against Anti Tribal Bills (JAC-AATB) of their stand to boycott all tribal MLAs and the lone MP from Manipur who "failed to hear the cries of their people". The OMTF and JAC-AATB had announced the banning of Congress party in all tribal areas in Manipur recently. Talking to Newmai News Network this evening, Francis Ngajokpa who is a senior Congress MLA from Tadubi assembly constituency, Senapati district, said that his supporters have been asking him to resign from the MLAship as well as from the Congress party. He, however, did not divulge his next move in this connection. Another tribal MLA facing similar pressure from his supporters while talking to this news agency and who chose not to be identified "at the moment" said that he will be consulting his supporters soon in this regard. Meanwhile, Mangchinkhup, Convenor of Joint Action Committee against Anti-Tribal Bills (JAC-AATB) told Newmai News Nework this evening that they are closely monitoring things so that "no tribal MLAs and the Congress leaders enter the tribal areas". OMTF and JAC-AATB have reiterated the boycott of all the tribal MLAs and the lone MP who "failed" to hear the cries of their people. "These betrayers of the tribal peoples are banned from having any activity or movement in the tribal areas of Manipur, and that neither the forum nor the JAC shall be responsible for any untoward incident if they fail to comply with the ban," they said. The July 18 joint meeting of OMTF and JAC-AATB resolved that any individual or organization aiding, cooperating or standing with these individuals will be branded as "anti-tribal" and shall be at their own risk. They said the Congress party was solely responsible for drafting, introducing and passing of the three “anti-tribal bills” in the state assembly on August 30 last, the joint meeting also resolved to boycott the Congress party in all tribal areas of Manipur from July 18 last. Any political party, whether national or regional, which works against the interest of the tribal peoples shall face the same fate as that of the Congress party, OMTF and JAC-AATB have resolved. According to them, individuals, organisations and political parties betraying the "indigenous" peoples shall have no place in the tribal areas in "present Manipur". "The struggle for self-determination of the indigenous peoples in present Manipur that began with the spontaneous reaction that erupted after the passing of the three ‘anti-tribal bills’ by the Congress-led Manipur government has already crossed one year," it said. "Yet, even after a year of unflinching agitation, both the Central and state governments have refused to take any genuine step to address the grievances of the tribal community," they added. "The dominant valley-dwelling community of present Manipur in connivance with the communal Manipur government has been gearing up for inclusion of the Meitei community in the scheduled tribe list as a continuation of their policies to annex tribal lands and grab the meager privileges bestowed on the tribal peoples," they alleged. As part of the ongoing fight for tribal rights and identity, the OMTF and JAC have submitted a joint memorandum to the Prime Minister recently opposing the demand for the Scheduled Tribe status by the valley-dwelling Meitei community and shall continue to resist such ‘sinister design’ in the days to come. The OMTF and JAC have been saying that they are committed to safeguard tribal ancestral lands, tribal rights and identity and shall leave no stone unturned in their ongoing effort to ensure an inclusive and promising future for all the tribal communities and an administrative setup separate from the ambit of the present Manipur government.