Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 01 2010:
Movement for Tribal People's Rights, Manipur (MTPRM) has denounced the State Government's action of not allotting a single seat for tribal women in the newly constructed three markets of Khwairamband Bazar.
In a statement, MTPRM president S Ramhaoleng said that as the market complexes are not constructed to be accommodated by a single community, MTPRM had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister on December 21, 2009 requesting to allocate necessary seats to the tribal women.
However, till date, the Government has not taken any decision in this regard.
It has been learnt that there is not a single seat lying vacant now and it is also not known under what procedures the allotment had been made as it has not been announced to the public.
Therefore, it can be safely assumed that the seat allotment had been done on pick and choose basis, Ramhaoleng asserted.
The State Government's action of denying seats to tribal women is nothing less than discrimination and segregation on the line of religion and caste, etc and severing of ties with the tribal people, MTPRM observed, while appealing to the State Government to consider the matter seriously in the interest of all the communities settling in Manipur.