TNFO puts up case for Naga villages
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 11 2017:
Strongly putting up a case on behalf of the tribal villages and the tribals of Manipur, the Tangkhul Naga Foothills’ Organisation (TNFO) has submitted a representation to Chief Minister N Biren to reconsider the decision of the former Congress Government to create seven new districts, 'arbitrarily.'
In the representation submitted to the Chief Minister, the president and general secretary of TNFO said that the arbitrary decision of the State Government to create seven new districts on December 8, 2016 is a gross violation of the rights and privileges of the tribal people who have stood their ground against such a policy for 36 years .
Recalling the demand of the tribal people to reorganise the districts for the convenience of the people and for balanced administration, the representation said that following this, a Cabinet sub-Committee was set up in 1981 to look into the basic criteria to be fulfilled before the re-adjustment and demarcation of the boundaries of the proposed new districts .
On the other hand, the State Government had also signed MoUs with Naga organisations to consult all stake holders if new districts are to be created .
However the MoUs and the demands were overlooked and the State Government went ahead and announced the creation of the new seven districts, it added .
Taking this into consideration, the decision of the earlier decision should be reconsidered, added TNFO .
The representation also urged the Chief Minister to exclude the hill villages from the Assembly Constituencies of the valley districts as these villages are under the Manipur (Village Authorities of Hill Areas) Act, 1956 and recognised as hill areas .
These villages also pay Hill House Tax through their respective chief/headman, it added .
The villages named are Tamaram Tangkhul village, Lembakhul, Narumphung, Poirou, Lishamlok, Kaprang, Saman, Leiyaram.
The overlapping of administration under ADC and Panchayati Raj has also created confusion in the minds of the people, it added .
Taking all these facts into consideration, TNFO urged the Chief Minister to direct the department/s concerned to consult and consider the wishes and aspirations of the people of the foothill villages, to amalgamate the land of the 8 villages with the contiguous district namely, Ukhrul, Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong, to issue necessary directive to the department concerned to exclude the villages exercising their franchise in the valley district ACs, to issue directives to the department concerned to exclude the villages already under the Panchayati Raj.