Imphal, June 17 2009: Can an Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of a Sub-Division permit some foreign organisations to hold a protest rally in a part of India, i.e.in Manipur? .

Yes, he can, if the case of Moreh is taken into account.

The ADC of Tengnoupal Sub-Division has reportedly issued permission to two Burma (Myanmar) based organisations to take out a procession at Moreh on June 19 in protest against the continued house arrest of Aung San Su Kyi and in demand of setting her free by the Military Junta of Myanmar.

Reliable sources said, Ms Lingjakim Haokip, president of Kuki Women's Human Rights Organisation (KWHRO), Moreh (but typed as Burma) and Ms Ngangai Haokip, presidium board member of Women's League of Burma (WLB) had submitted an application to the ADC, Tengnoupal Sub-Division, Moreh yesterday requesting him to permit them to hold a protest rally in protest against the continued detention of Aung San Su Kyi in Myanmar on June 19 .

The ADC, allegedly without consulting the DC concerned, had signed "permitted" on the application and put a seal of his office on it.

The sources said, the protest rally is being organised in several countries, such as Thailand, Bangladesh, India (in Delhi), etc.

to draw attention of the world community to the present predicament in which Aung San Su Kyi finds herself in Myanmar.

However, the problem arises when the question of permitting Burmese organisations to hold a protest rally in a small part of India, which is Manipur, that too by an ADC, without consulting the authorities concerned.

Because it involves infringement on diplomatic relations between the two countries�Myanmar and India.

It is not within the authority of an ADC to permit such a protest rally to be staged by Myanmar based organisations, the sources said.

Moreh being a town bordering Myanmar, any activity such as an open protest rally held there, aimed at criticising the ruling junta in Myanmar, is bound to certainly provoke the junta.

Besides, such an application requesting for permission to hold a procession or protest rally must be addressed to the District Magistrate or Additional Deputy Magistrate.

The line dividing the authority between ADM and ADC is obvious.

Even if a single person holds both the posts, applications submitted by citizens or groups of citizens must be addressed separately and clearly to either ADM or ADC according to the purpose, the sources pointed out.

Over and above, when a group of people applies for permission to organise a procession or protest rally in a particular place, the ADM or ADC alone can not issue permission for the same.

He/she must first obtain opinions from the district SP.

If the district SP suggests that such an event is likely to create law and order problem, the DM/ADM does not usually issue permission for the same.

However, in the case of the proposed procession of Moreh on June 19, the district SP had not been consulted by the ADC before he issued permission for it, the sources said.

After the procession on June 19, a public meeting is also being planned to be held at Moreh where the board member of WLB, Ms Ngangai Haokip will be one of the presidium members.

Legal observers pointed out that the ADC Moreh should have consulted at least the DC, if not the district SP.

Since any protest rally or procession held at Moreh usually causes tension, the state government needs to pay special attention to the matter.

Another thing to be noted is that when the ADC wrote "permitted" and signed along with a mark of seal on the application submitted by the two bodies, he did not even write the date on which the procession is to be held.

Comment