Understanding Autonomous District Councils of Manipur : Seminar
Delhi, 21 June 2016 :
Kahorngam Zimik, the president of Naga People Union for Civil Liberties, in response to several-issues being faced by the present ADC’s in Manipur had taken an initiative in organizing one day seminar titled “Understanding Autonomous District Councils of Manipur” at Gandhi Peace Foundation Auditorium, Delhi.
Dr. Yaronsho Ngalung, Chairman of Ukhrul district ADCs had deliberated on the theme of the seminar as a main resource person and the entire session was chaired by Dr. Lam Khan Piang, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The seminar focus on the existing structural- issues of Autonomous District Councils in Manipur and had emphasized on devolutions of legislative and judiciary powers the same way Autonomous District councils in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Assam were empowered. In spite of the fact that, the Autonomous District councils of Manipur was created under the parliamentary Act in 1971, before the Manipur become full-fledged state.
It has never been empowered in practice/spirit. The seminar also highlights the issue of political misrepresentations in the Manipur legislative assembly wherein, the total number of tribal representation is just nineteen instead of forty percent of tribal populations in Manipur. The present Autonomous District Councils has become a whims and fancies of Chief Minister of Manipur in the form of implementing agent of the state of Government only.
The present ADC’s is grappling with the central and state government for their right to autonomous rules. Sensing the various structural issues encountered on their governance, it has been brought to the light that empowering in the form of granting a ‘Sixth Schedule’ status would be an immediate remedy to look into their grievances. The discussion further reveals the shortage of fund which has made this governance not able to function properly apart from several poor infrastructures.
The president of Naga People for Civil Liberties, asserted that, there is nothing wrong when some scholars says, “the Sixth Schedule is an appeasement policy to counter/contain the growing insurgency problems in Northeast India.’’ The fabric of ‘Fifth and Six Schedule’ speaks about political accommodation of different tribal communities into the main-stream politics of India.
But unfortunately, ADC’s in Manipur is seen entangling between the centre and state governments playing vested political games. In the light of recent nine- tribal youths killing in Churachanpur by armed police men, the tribals in Manipur were reminded of how they had been exploited by the valley-centric state government socially, economically and politically and the right way to escape from such kind of repressive/suppressive forces is to have a separate administration in the form of ‘Six Schedule.’
* This Press Relese was sent to e-pao.net by Franky Varah who can be contacted at akyvarah(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This Press Release was posted on June 21 2016
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