ATSUM to ban National projects
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 07, 2013:
All the National and State projects including railway line construction in Tamenglong district will be banned from the midnight of November 11 by All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) as part of its second phase agitation under the code name ROTO (Reckoning of the Other).
ATSUM said their second phase ROTO will start with a low intensity agitation but if situation demands they will resort to the 'most radical form' of protest.
ATSUM has demanded that condition of educational atmosphere in the hill districts is improved by appointing or recruitmenting adequate teaching and non-teaching staff and necessary infrastructure for schools in the hill areas.
In this regard, ATSUM also demanded the setting up of BEd centres in the hill districts.
It also demanded for the early solution to the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) crises.
Another demand of ATSUM is the improvement of healthcare in the hill districts by making all PHSC, PHC, CHC and DHC functional.
It demanded that proper equipments with required specislist doctors and nurses in the district hospitals of the hills be posted.
One prime demand of ATSUM has been to establish a separate state Commission for Scheduled Tribe (ST) in Manipur.
ATSUM also said ST reservation norms as per the latest roster be adhered.
It further demanded for encouraging equitable development through special economic package for the hill areas of Manipur.
Effective governance of the hill areas also another key demand of the tribal student body.
According to ATSUM, to have effective governance there are certain areas that should be revamped.
Securing the proper functioning of the Hill Area Committee (HAC) and requiring the Governor of Manipur to discharge his special responsibilities under 371-C of the Constitution on India is one area.
To bring the present Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in Manipur at par with other ADCs in the North-Eastern states of India is also one of the areas.
ATSUM also said re-organisation (Delimitation) of assembly seats on the basis of the latest population census and sharing 30/30 seats between the hills and the valley is one area that should be done for the effective governance.
Lastly, ATSUM demands for the protection of tribal rights on land and natural resource.
"Considering the present political climate in the state and the escalating provocation of the state government policy towards the tribal or indigenous hill peoples of the state, the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) feels pertinent to share our considered opinion as to how and why a tribal movement should be launched under the operation code name ROTO?.
It is unfortunate to reiterate that both constitutional and statutory laws are rendered virtually non-functional in the hill areas of the state.
As a result, complacency of the elected representatives of the hill areas and for fear of being blacklisted by those people at the helm of affairs have resulted in the deprivation and non functioning of the Hill Area Committee (HAC) by failing to require the Governor of Manipur to discharge his special responsibilities under Article 371 (C) of the Constitution of India.
While addressing the grievances of the tribal, it is the need of the hour to understand the tribal groups in Manipur are a constitutional anomaly in north-east India on the question that tribal of the north-east state are safeguarded by the Sixth Schedule and administered within what the Constitution calls tribal areas.
Whereas, the hill people of Manipur neither comes under schedule areas nor tribal areas," ATSUM leaflet mentions that is being distributed among the people as an awareness campaign.
The state election commission in Manipur vide order no.12/1/2012-SEC notification dated 27th July, 2012 announced the general election to Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur Hills Parishad were in 18 Hill villages were included in the Gram Panchayat/Zilla Pari-shad constituencies although they come under the Jurisdiction of the Autonomous District Council and pay Hill house Tax to the State Government of Manipur.
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