Newmai News Network
Imphal | July 11
In a dramatic turn of events, the Manipur Police has filed as many as 75 different criminal cases against former leader of Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS), Ratan Khomdram who is wanted by the police on the charge of being linked with the proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF).
Imphal West Police’s Superintendent of Police duly submitted the counter affidavit to the High Court of Manipur on Monday, a local news TV channel said.
The new development comes after the court was preparing to hear a petition filed by Khomdram himself against a wanted tag labelled against him by the state police after he was charged with having link with UNLF.
Former JCILPS convener Khomdram, 48, of Singjamei Wangma Kshetri Leikai Mongkhang Lambi, filed a writ petition in the Manipur High Court against the Government of Manipur through Additional Chief Secretary Home, DGP of Manipur Police, PRO of Manipur Police Department, Superintendent of Police, Imphal West and Officer-in-Charge of Singjamei Police Station.
Acting Chief Justice Rakesh Ranjan Prasad of Manipur High Court had earlier served an order to the state government to deposit all records related to declaration of ‘wanted’ tag on Khomdram before the Junior Magistrate First Class (JMIC) Imphal West by July 11.
The wanted tag against Khomdram was declared on June 2 last by the Manipur Police after proofs on his being linked with UNLF were obtained from social media WhatsApp and Facebook.
JCILPS, a conglomerate of citizens, has been pressurising the state government through a sustained public movement for introduction of ILP to curb illegal inrush of migrants into the state.
The police have claimed that the former leader of the joint committee has been absconding. On July 7, the police conducted coordinated raids at his Mongkhang Lambi and Singjamei Bheigyabati Leikai residences here.
Sit-in protests were organised at different localities of Singjamei area today under the banner of a joint action committee constituted against the wanted tag declared against Khomdram. The same demonstration was also staged yesterday.
The protesters condemned the police action raiding Khomdram’s residences. The JAC has demanded that the wanted tag on Khomdram should be withdrawn warning intense agitation.
OMTF lauds President of India for withholding bills
IMPHAL, July 11 (NNN): The Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum (OMTF) in meeting held today in Imphal lauded the President of India to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee and the Government of India for "exercising their wisdom" in withholding infamous and "anti-tribal" bills, viz., the Protection of Manipur Peoples Bill, 2015 passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly on the 31st August, 2015.
According to the tribal forum, the continued discrimination and marginalization of the tribals in Manipur have entered a new phase with the passing of the 3 "Anti-Tribal Bills" on August 31, 2015, "which intended to finally exclude" them from the citizenship of Manipur State particularly and of India in general.
The press note of the tribal forum said that to resist such "systematic designs" of the State for institutional exclusion of the tribals, the various apex civil organizations of the hill tribes formed the Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum (OMTF).
It then "recognizes and expresses" its appreciation for the initiatives taken by the Joint Action Committee Against the Anti-Tribal Bills (JAC-AATB) and the Manipur Tribals’ Forum, Delhi (MTF-D) in spearheading a movement of Manipur tribals against the State’s encroachment of the tribals’ land, rights and identity.
The OMTF aslo has take cognizance of the fact that the tribal MLAs who "failed to protect/defend or resign from membership no longer represented and enjoyed the mandate"of tribal peoples, as it has been manifested since the passing of the three "anti-tribals" bills.
"As a consequent upon which the JAC, Churachandpur and various tribal organizations have boycotted them for they could not carry out their responsibilities as peoples’ representative both inside and outside the Manipur Legislative Assembly and accordingly the OMTF endorsed the boycott".
It then said that in view of the above stated "facts", the OMTF unanimously resolved and declared that: If any Bill, which is detrimental to the hill areas and its peoples, be introduced and passed in Manipur State Legislative Assembly, the tribal peoples of Manipur shall never accept under any circumstances and it will be considered as further insult and challenge to the tribal peoples.
It also appealed to all the tribal peoples to remain alert and not to be misguided by the vested interest persons.
Any individual, representative, Association or Organization who defy this declaration shall be treated as betrayal and also be held responsible at his/her own risk, it further cautioned.
