ATSUM facilitates discussion on tribal issues
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, October 30 2013:
Many Scholars, lawyers and activists turned up at a meeting convened by All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) at Basant Lok Community Centre, Vasant Vihar in New Delhi Delhi yesterday.
Following a successful discussion on Article 371-C of the constitution of India at JNU a week ago this selective meeting was organised to take forward the tribal movement that has already been kick-started by ATSUM.
Work in charge have been allocated to individuals from amongst the the members present.
As part of its movement on tribal issues in Manipur, the All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) had organised this programme at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi on October 29 to discuss the Article 371(C), setting up of a separate commission for the Manipur tribals, healthcare and education.
According to the tribal student leaders, they will also organise such programmes in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and many other cities regarding the issues pertaining to the tribals of Manipur.
"Once these are done, we will begin our agitation under the code name ROTO (Reckoning of the Others)," said the tribal student leaders.
ATSUM then reiterated that it will be forced to resume its suspended agitation under the code name " ROTO (Reckoning of Others) any day.
Some of the ATSUM's demands are the setting up of setting up of a separate commission for the Scheduled Tribe in Manipur which was demanded by the tribal students' body and assured by the state government; securing the proper functioning of Hill Area Committee (HAC) under Article 371(C); healthcare and education.
"Article 371 (C) exists but it has not been implemented in letter and spirit in the five hill districts of Manipur," pointed out ATSUM while adding, "It has been systematically suppressed by the state through bureaucratic manipulations," alleged the ATSUM leaders" .