Newmai News Network Imphal | April 18 The Joint Action Committee Against Anti Tribal Bills (JAC-AATB) today said that without Central government involvement in the talks, the prevailing issue cannot be resolved. Without the ‘Constitutional protection/safeguard’ to the tribal people and their lands, “issues such as the prevailing ones will crop up from time to time as the State Government can introduce anything at will against the interests of the tribals,” JAC-AATB Convenor, Mangchinkhup stated here today. In order to resolve the issue “once and for all,” the JAC-AATB delegation will be going to New Delhi soon to discuss the issue with the leaders of the Central government, Mangchinkhup said maintaining that the involvement of the Central government is imperative. “It will not be proper for anyone to just close down the issue after paying compensation or ex-gratia to the tribal martyrs,” he pointed out. “These nine tribals have laid down their precious lives for the tribal lands and people”. “Uncertainty lurks at the moment,” Mangchinkhup said regarding the next round of talks with the State Government of Manipur. While the ‘preliminary’ round of talks on April 7 between JAC-AATB and the Biren Singh government was termed it as ‘positive’ by both the parties, the second meeting on April 10, contrary to the people’s expectation, did not make any breakthrough. The current issue pertains to passing of three “contentious bills” by the Manipur Assembly on August 31, 2015 and the chain of events that ensued afterwards. Nine people were also killed and many injured when violence broke in Churachandpur district following passing of the bills which the tribal people termed as ‘anti-tribal.” Eight are still lying unclaimed in the Churachandpur District Hospital mortuary as the deadlock has persisted over the issues including burial of the bodies. JAC-AATB, on April 12, has also resolved to mark the 600th days of the ongoing ‘tribal movement’ on April 22. Some of its key demands of the includes "Constitutional safeguard for ancestral tribal territories and development of tribal people; Restoration of the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms (MLR&LR) Act, 1960 to its original principal Act status; and Justice for the Tribal Martyrs and the injured including declaration of August 31 as an annual State Holiday on the occasion of Tribal Unity Day".
