Delhi, June 21 (MExN): A one day seminar titled “Understanding Autonomous District Councils of Manipur” was held at Gandhi Peace Foundation Auditorium, Delhi.
The seminar was organised by the Naga People Union for Civil Liberties in response to several-issues being faced by the present ADC’s in Manipur, a press release received here informed.
Dr. Yaronsho Ngalung, Chairman of Ukhrul district ADCs had deliberated on the theme of the seminar as a main resource person and the entire session was chaired by Dr. Lam Khan Piang, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The seminar focused on the existing structural issues of ADCs in Manipur and had emphasized on devolution of legislative and judiciary powers the same way ADCs in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Assam were empowered.
In spite of the fact that, the Autonomous District councils of Manipur was created under the parliamentary Act in 1971, before the Manipur become full-fledged state, it has never been empowered in practice/spirit, the release stated.
The seminar also highlighted the issue of political misrepresentations in the Manipur legislative assembly wherein, the total number of tribal representation is just nineteen instead of forty percent of tribal populations in Manipur.
The release contended that the present ADCs have become implementing agents of the state government only and is grappling with the central and state government for their right to autonomous rules.
Sensing the various structural issues encountered on the governance of ADCs, the seminar brought to light that empowering in the form of granting a ‘Sixth Schedule’ status would be an immediate remedy to look into the grievances.
The discussion further revealed the shortage of fund which has made this governance not able to function properly apart from several poor infrastructures.
Naga People for Civil Liberties, President, Kahorngam Zimik, asserted that there is nothing wrong when some scholars call the Sixth Schedule “an appeasement policy” to counter/contain insurgency problems in Northeast.
“The fabric of ‘Fifth and Six Schedule’ speaks about political accommodation of different tribal communities into the main-stream politics of India,” the release stated before adding, “But unfortunately, ADC’s in Manipur is seen entangling between the centre and state governments playing vested political games.”
Further stating that the nine-tribal youths killed in Churachanpur by armed police is a reminder of how tribal people in Manipur have been exploited by the valley-centric state government “socially, economically and politically”, the release maintained that the right way to escape from such kind of repressive/suppressive forces “is to have a separate administration in the form of ‘Six Schedule’”.
