Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 30 2009:
Manipur Tribals' Council and the Indigenous Democratic Front came down heavy on the Hill Areas Committee for their failure to arrive at any concrete decision for the ADC poll yesterday, reports our correspondent.
While giving maximum effort for immediate holding of ADC election in all hill districts of Manipur, the MTC express surprise over the casual attitude adopted by some prominent hill MLAs.
The council nevertheless appeals all the tribal people to disregard the HAC' s failure yesterday but warn that it will justify all in whatever event that culminates if it still fails in the forthcoming meeting of August 4, 2009. The IDF on the other hand raps the State Govt for its failure to adapt concrete decision over ADC polls in the just concluded assembly session as well as the HAC for further delaying a tentative solution for the ADC poll.
The front had already warned of intense agitation if the HAC fails to commit themselves to a definite date for the ADC in their meeting held yester day.
Elaborating the cause the IDF said, despite the Manipur (Hill Areas) Di trict Council Act 1971, the constitutional aspiration of the tribal people in the state has been continually denial since 1984, and yet again after the recent session.
It also accuses the Govt of taking a deceptive resolution in 2000 and twice as much in 2006 and again on 6 February, 2008.The result every time the ADC poll was discussed, it always is 'back to square one,' it adds.
This clearly shows that it is a prima facia intention of the government not to conduct the ADC election and further curtail and deny the Tribal peoples' right to local self government, it alleged.
The IDF also alleged that Rs.426 lakhs and Rs.4.96 crores awarded by the 11th and 12th finance commission for the Hill Councils were withheld as ADC elections have not been conducted.
The Tribal peoples' loss for the past 20 years due to State Govt's lackadaisical attitude to the tribals would therefore be unimaginable, it asserted.