ANSAM stands its ground in the face of Wanted tag
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 08 2010: Reacting to the State Government's declaration of ANSAM and UNC presidents as wanted men, the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has stated that the Naga people would be compelled to respond to any attempt to arrest and harass the executives of ANSAM and UNC in a befitting manner.

A statement issued by ANSAM categorically stated that the economic blockade was not targeting any particular community and the Nagas were equally affected by it.

When the Manipur Government outrightly rejected the genuine demands of the Nagas, the people had no other option but to resort most unwillingly to this form of agitation.

Even then, the Government went ahead and imposed the election, it asserted.

Samson Remmei and David Chorro

Now that the imposed elections for the ADC have been mock staged on May 26 and June 2 with "nil" votes being cast in most of the Naga areas and Congress candidates finding themselves uncontested in 36 constituencies, the State Government is congratulating itself for the successful conduct of the election, ANSAM derided.

Chief Minister O Ibobi, as reported in the media, extended an invitation through a letter from the Chief Secretary to the ANSAM for talks on the ADC issue and the economic blockade on May 26 at 2.30 pm, the day of the first phase of ADC polls, it said.

As the first phase of polling had already started, the invitation had no relevance except the intention to project the ANSAM as opposing any initiative to resolve the issue, charged the student body.

This was followed by issuance of arrest warrants against ANSAM and UNC executives.

The cheap gimmick of inviting for talks when elections were already imposed and then following it up with arrest warrants will definitely convince the Naga people of the sincerity of the State Government, it asserted.

"We therefore appeal to the general public of Manipur, once again to understand the game played by the Ibobi Singh Government to suppress the rights of the tribal people and also why we must continue to agitate till our grievances are addressed", ANSAM asserted.

Saying that the hill people have consistently demanded for the extension of 6th Schedule since 1990, ANSAM iterated that the tribals would have the benefit of decentralization, self governance and development in their land, if their demands have been been granted.

After 20 years of agreeing to extend 6th Schedule to the tribal areas of Manipur, with dithering on "local adjustment" the valley centric Manipur State Government came out with the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) Act 2008, carefully doctored and stripped off of all the provisions that go into self governance and the rights of the hill people over their land and resources and removing the primacy of the traditional institutions of the tribals.

Thus after a series of consultative meetings conducted under the aegis of the UNC, Manipur and Naga frontal organisations, the Naga people unanimously decided to reject the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act 1971 and the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) Act 2008 in its present form and content.

Decrying the position of the State Government that the ADC elections must be held as scheduled and necessary amendments to the ADC Act can be taken up later, ANSAM rued that had the elections been deferred and the empowering amendments enacted, the election would have been a successful democratic exercise.

The intending candidates for ADC who all wanted to withdraw from the election on realising the profound wishes of their people and return to their villages in the Naga hills were kept in imphal under high security, it alleged.

Allowing the extension of 6th Schedule to the tribals would mean allowing the tribals to decide their own future which would understandably be different from that of the Meiteis.

So the only way left for the Ibobi Government was to impose an election under the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) form of agitation.

Even then, the Government went ahead with the imposition of the election, it asserted.

Now that the imposed elections for the ADC have been mock staged on May 26 and June 2 with "nil" votes being cast in most of the Naga areas and Congress candidates finding themselves uncontested in 36 constituencies, the State Government is congratulating itself for the successful conduct of the election.

Chief Minister O Ibobi, as reported in the media, extended an invitation through a letter from the Chief Secretary to the ANSAM for talks on the ADC issue and the economic Blockade on May 26 at 2.30 pm, the day of the first phase of ADC polls.

As the first phase of polling had already started, the invitation has no relevance except the intention to project the ANSAM as being opposed to any initiative to solve the issue.

This was followed by issuance of arrest warrants against ANSAM and UNC executives.

The cheap gimmick of inviting for talks when elections were already imposed and then following it up with arrest warrants will definitely convince the Naga people of the sincerity of the State government, it asserted.

"We therefore appeal to the general public of Manipur, once again to understand the game played by the Ibobi's Government to suppress the rights of the tribal people and also why we must continue to agitate till our grievances are addressed", ANSAM conveyed.

Saying that the hill people have consistently demanded for the extension of 6th Schedule since 1990, ANSAM iterated that the tribals would have the benefit of decentralization, self governance and development in their land, if their demands have been been granted.

After 20 years of agreeing to extend 6th Schedule to the tribal areas of Manipur, with dithering on "local adjustment" the valley centric Manipur State Government came out with the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) Act 2008, carefully doctored and stripped off of all the provisions that go into self governance and the rights of the hill people over their land and resources and removing the primacy of the traditional institutions of the tribals.

Thus after a series of consultative meetings conducted under the aegis of the UNC, Manipur and Naga frontal organisations, the Naga people unanimously decided to reject the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act 1971 and the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) Act 2008 in its present form and content.

Decrying the position of the State Government that the ADC elections must be held as scheduled and necessary amendments to the ADC Act can be taken up later, ANSAM rued that had the elections been deferred and the empowering amendments enacted, the election would have been a successful democratic exercise.

The intending candidates for ADC who all wanted to withdraw from the election on realising the profound wishes of their people and return to their villages in the Naga hills were kept in imphal under high security, it alleged.

Allowing the extension of 6th Schedule to the tribals would mean allowing the tribals to decide their own future which would understandably be different from that of the Meiteis.

So the only way left for the Ibobi Government was to impose an election under the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) 2008, which does not provide for any sort of autonomy and leaves the District Councils at the mercy and control of the State Government.

Through deceit and calculated schemes, all through these years, the rights of the tribals have been undermined and attempted to be curtailed with legislations by taking advantage of the majority of 40 MLAs in a total house of 60 .

The sensible Imphal valley people must seriously think how they are being misled by the State Government and the organisations colluding with it, who are allegedly still on the outdated mission of forced decimation of hill people, ANSAM called out.