Newmai News Network Imphal | April 10 The second round of talks between Joint Action Committee Against Anti-Tribal Bills (JAC-AATB) and Manipur government here ended without any apparent breakthrough with no date set for a later meeting. The talks between the Joint Action Committee Against Anti-Tribal Bills and the government at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat lasted for nearly three hours. “The talks ended with no major breakthrough on the JAC’s charter of demands,” sources said, adding that uncertainty prevails over the next round of meeting between the JAC and Manipur government. A reliable source said that some of the demands of the Joint Action Committee Against Anti-Tribal Bills are “Constitutional safeguard of the tribal territory, restoration of the MLR and LR Act of 1960 to its original status and justice for the martyrs and injured.” A 13-member delegation of the JAC took part in the meeting in which the state government side was represented by Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues along with Chief Secretary Oinam Nabakishore Singh and DGP of Manipur Police LM Khaute. “The talks ended without an agreement,” a JAC leader told journalists after coming out of the meeting hall, who refused to comment further. The first round of meeting between the two sides was held on April 7. On August 31, 2015, the Manipur Assembly passed three bills which became contentious bills since. The tribal people have termed the bills ‘anti-tribal.” Nine protesters were killed and many injured when violence broke in Churachandpur district following passing of the bills. Of the nine bodies, eight are still lying unclaimed in the Churachandpur District Hospital mortuary as the deadlock has persisted over the issues including burial of the bodies. “If the State Government feels it is necessary to hold talks further they will invite us,” was a comment of a JAC leader.
