KCCM objects to GP administration in hill districts
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 04 2021:
Strongly objecting to the on-going process of the state government to implement Gram Pan- chayat administrative system in the hill districts, Kuki Chiefs' Council Manipur (KCCM) has demanded the government to drop the policy immediately.
In a release, KCCM explained that the administrative set-up of district boundaries is for the convenience of administrative purposes on the development ground.
As Manipur is divided into two systems of administration 'Inner and Outer', 'Outer Manipur' Hill areas fall under the ambit of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) as per Article 371(C).However, it is unfortunate and unconstitutional that the powers & functions of HAC are being manipulated and bypassed by the state government on many occasions at the cost of tribal rights.
The trespassing of tribals' rights and consents in any form is unconstitutional and a grave violation of human rights and indigenous rights, it added.
Contending that the implementation of Gram Panchayat Institution in hill areas infringe on human rights and many international laws, KCCM pointed out that Article 366(25) refers to Scheduled Tribes as such tribes or tribal communities or groups as are deemed under Article 342 of the Constitution.
It is given in Article 14 of the Indian Constitution that the state should not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection within the territory of India.
In India, since these people are considered low and are not treated well, the Constitution of India has several provisions for safeguarding their interests.
Hence, the rights of the tribals should not be violated through political manipulation in any form, the release asserted.
If the state government wishes to conduct projects and surveys seeking details of villages for taking up development activities, the same can be done through the respective ADCs to avoid administrative overlapping and other related anomalies, KCCM maintained, while affirming that imposition of panchayati raj administration in hill districts could not be accepted under any conditions as the local self-administration i.e the ADCs are in place in all the hill districts.
The release further said that the hill districts of Manipur are the tribal ancestral land and the traditional practices of chieftainship institution are protecting and preserving tradition, customs, culture and linguistics through Kuki Chieftainship rights internationally.
So, the traditional administration cannot be replaced by any external institution since chieftainship rights are the human rights of the tribal Kuki and their kinsmen and will not tolerate any laws which could hamper the rights enjoy by the tribals of Manipur.