ADC polls and devolution
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 01, 2015 -
With the announcement of May 30 as the date for Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections, all major political parties in Manipur have begun hectic preparations.
This time round, the State Cabinet’s decision taken on March 27 has not caused immediate ripples of opposition as witnessed earlier.
While there may be numerous reasons for the silence maintained by those who had opposed the ADC elections earlier, there were also reports which indicated that the polls are likely to have smooth sail this time round.
Here, it is worth recalling that United Naga Council (UNC) had earlier declared the ADC polls as “null and void” and resolved to severe all political ties with the Government of Manipur during the 3rd Naga People’s Convention (NPC).
The strident opposition to the ADC polls earlier by the UNC had been based on the argument that the Manipur Government has been “indifferent and chauvinistic” towards the people in the hill districts.
However, the problematic area now seems to be hinged on whether or not the State Government is ready to concede to the demands of the elected ADC members on devolution of power.
They had also accused the State Governments of denying certain “rights and powers” under the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, 1971.
Raising the issue of the Government’s refusal to devolve powers and functions, the ADC members pointed out that the resolutions for the implementation of provisions under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution based on the recommendation of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), Manipur have been kept in abeyance.
Under such a backdrop, it would be worthwhile to reassess the overall merits and demerits of instituting ADCs in the name of autonomy.
While it has been more or less easy for any ruling dispensation to grant political relief in the name of autonomy, the arrangement can be rendered impotent without the actual devolution of power.
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