NEFIS writes to Chief Minister to release ATSUM leaders
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 07 2022:
The North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) has written to Chief Minister N Biren Singh to release the five ATSUM leaders who were arrested and initiate a peaceful dialogue with the tribal bodies.
In a statement, NEFIS further urged the Government to take strong actions against all the hatemongers and refrain from tabling any Bill related to hill districts without consulting with the tribal communities.
It said that the five tribal student leaders were arrested for demanding to table the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill, 2021 in the recent State Assembly to give the Hill Areas Committee and Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in Manipur more power over the finances and autonomy related to the administration of the hill areas.
Saying that the situation took a turn for the worse after the State Government introduced the 6th and 7th Amendment Bills of the Manipur District Councils (Hill Areas) instead against the will of the tribal bodies, NEFIS said that the tribal students' body imposed a 24-hour shutdown in the hill districts against this measure of the Government.
Five executive members of the tribal students' body were arrested for organizing the shutdown, NEFIS said and added that the tribal communities have been demanding the release of the five student leaders since then.
The repression of the subsequent peaceful protests by the Manipur police and leading to injuries of many tribal people is highly condemnable, NEFIS claimed and added that the Government must uphold the democratic rights of the people to demonstrate and put forward their demands.
Claiming that some hatemongers are spreading hatred and threatening harmony in the State which is a serious issue which may exacerbate the 'volatile' situation, NEFIS opined that the situation might go out of control if immediate and strict action is not taken against the hatemongers.