From Manipur may spread to other North East states
Newmai News Network
Senapati | May 9
Buoyed by positive response from various Mizoram based organizations, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Against Anti-Tribal Bills is likely to take its campaign to other states of the NE soon.
Leaders of the Committee informed Newmai News Network that intense discussion is underway to chalk out future course of action in this regard even as various modes of agitation initiated by the valley based organisations under the aegis of Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) are going on in Imphal demanding the implementation of the three bills--the Protection of Manipur Peoples Bill, 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue & land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Shop & Establishment (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015—which were passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly last year.
Nine protesters lost their lives when security forces tried to control violent protests that erupted in south Manipur district of Churachandpur following the passing of the three government ILP Bills last year.
The bills have been referred to as being “anti tribal” and violating the provision of Article 371C and the Manipur State Hill People Regulation, 1947. The Manipur State Government claimed that these three bills do not infringe on the existing rights of the tribal.
The clarification from the government, have however, failed to allay the apprehension. It may be noted that May 7, 2016 marked the 250th day of agitation against the three bills.
The JAC has alleged that the Congress-led State Government has now passed on the onus to the BJP for converting the three Bills into Acts. It said such divisive tactics of trying to garner political mileage while “displaying utmost contempt for tribal sentiments will surely be detrimental to the survival of any political party...”
It may again be noted that on December 29, 2015 an 18-member delegation from the Joint Action Committee Against Anti-Tribal Bills met with the Chief Minister of Manipur and his non-tribal cabinet members requesting him to convene a Special Session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly to take a decision on their Charter of Demands submitted on November 9, 2015.
Instead, the Chief Minister requested the delegation to give in writing the various parts and portions of the three bills.
A six-page document outlining the same was submitted to the Chief Minister on January 11, 2016.
“However, Manipur Government continue to show no interest in bringing about any solution to the current impasse and has not sent out any invitation for talks with the JAC ever since. Instead, it has been propagating baseless accusations that the JAC is refusing to talk to Manipur Government while in reality the JAC await invitation for talks from the State Government,” the committee alleged.
According to the JAC, to the tribal people of Manipur, the three anti-tribal Bills have absolutely nothing to do with the Inner Line Permit System. It rather claimed that the withdrawn Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill, 2015 and the proposed Manipur Unorganized Workers (Control of Infiltration) Bill, 2016 seem to be more in line with the ILP System than all the three “anti-tribal” Bills combined.
The JAC expressed dismay that the constitutional rights of the tribal people in Manipur “have not been executed for many years now.” It however asserted that the movement against the bills and the JAC would not rest until a solution acceptable to the tribal people is achieved.
It also cautioned that both the Union Government and the State Government would be held responsible, as any untoward incident would be the result of continued intentional ignorance and indifference to the plight of the tribal people of Manipur.
