CSOs meet union ministers over border issue, ADC Bill
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 12 2021: Collective of Civil Society Organisations (CCSO), a conglomerate body of eight CSOs of the state, met union minister for DoNER & tourism on October 6 and union minister of state for external affairs Dr RK Ranjan on October 7 at the national capital and discussed the Indo-Myanmar border issue and ADC Bill 'prepared' by Hill Areas Committee (HAC).

According to a statement of CCSO, the meeting between the representatives from eight CSOs and union MoS Dr RK Ranjan took place around 1.30 pm during which the CCSO delegation urged the him to take up initiatives for resolving the Indo-Myanmar boundary issue at the earliest to which the union MoS assured of assessing the boundary along with ministry officials within the current month.

He also assured involvement of UCM and other stakeholders in the process of finalising the boundary issue.

The CCSO team urged the minister to make Imphal a hub for organising international conferences, business summits, cultural exchange programmes with countries in the South East Asia region under the central government's Act East Policy.

They also urged the minister to resume cross border free trade, set up visa centre at Moreh and Tamu for free movement, and finalise necessary steps to begin operation of Imphal-Mandalay Bus Service.

Regarding the ADC Bill 2021 prepared by HAC, the CCSO team pointed out to the minister that the Bill has several provisions which are appreciated by all to bring development in the hill areas.

However, it also contains provisions shjiilar to the Sixth Schedule, which is detrimental to the unity and integrity of the state.

They submitted a representation copy in this regard to the minister and urged him to discuss the matter with the Prime Minister and the Union home minister so as to remove the objectionable provisions.

They observed that there is no provision in the ADC Bill that reflects the statement of 'bringing unity among the tribal and general population, and using all the resources of the state for collective development' as envisaged in the 1972 presidential order on ADC.

They stressed the need for consulting the elected leaders from the hill areas to insert such provisions, remove objectionable contents and make the Bill a good one that will empower the ADC but does not affect the unity and integrity of the state.

After hearing the CCSO team, Dr RK Ranjan assured of taking up necessary steps to resolve these key issues concerning the state soon.

The team also tried to meet union home minister Amit Shah but he was out of station.

As a result, the team submitted a copy of the representation through union MoS for Home Affairs Nityainanda Rai.

The CCSO is planning to meet the union home minister during his visit in Imphal.

The CCSO team included PANDM president Yumnam-cha Dilipkumar, ACOAM Lup president Sanjit Soraisam, IPSA vice-president Khu-raijam Athouba, Kanglamei general secretary I Bimola, Kanglei Ima Lup (KIL) president RK Sanahanbi, Chanura Lamchinglen Kangleipak president Ch Pakpi Chanu and Kangleipak Students' Association president Sukham Bidyananda.

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