Chandel bodies, TKS boycott 'Go to Hills 2.0'
Source: Chronicle News Service / NNN

Imphal, September 06 2021: Naga Students' Union, Chandel (NSUC), a conglomerate of tribal student bodies of Chandel district, and civil societies of the district have announced boycott of the Go to Hills 2.0'" under its jurisdiction.

NSUC and Chandel CSOs namely Chandel Naga People's Organisation (CNPO), Naga Women Union Chandel (NWUC) and NCAC are protesting against the order issued by Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly for induction of 8 MLAs of the assembly constituencies from the unscheduled areas as members of Hill Areas Committee (HAC) vide Orders No.5/11(2) /2021-LA(Secy) dated 1st September 2021 .

In a joint statement, the Chandel organisations termed the order as an "anti-tribal motive'' of the Manipur Government, and condemned the order in the strongest terms.

The statement issued Monday said that the recent impugned Order will be "noted down as a dark chapter where the majority decides the future of the minority with an iron hand".

The government of Manipur has been undermining and manipulating the sentiments and aspirations of the tribal populace die to our simplicity, it said, adding: "Time and again, we the tribal have downtrodden and ill-treated by the state government".

Taking serious note on the ongoing "Go to Hills 2.0" as a threat to the tribals, NSUC, meanwhile said that it has decided to boycott the said programme as long as the Order is not rescinded.

"Therefore, NSUC appeals to the general public of Chandel not to attend the launching of Go to hills 2.0 in the district as it does not serve the interest of the tribals", the student body added.

UKHRUL: Along with declaring non-cooperation movement against the state government, Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) has also announced its stand to socially boycott chief minister N Biren Singh and Speaker Y Khemchand over what it called a series of anti-tribal policies adopted by the Biren-led BJP Government in the state.

In a press communique issued late Sunday night, the students' body demanded that the government immediately revoke the impugned Order No 5/ll(2)/2021-LA (Secy) dated 01/09/2021, issued by the Speaker, Manipur and also table the proposed Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill, 2021 as provided under Paragraph 2 of the Third Schedule to the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Order, 1972 and Rule 12A of the Rules of Business of the Government of Manipur, 1972 .

The boycott call and the non-cooperation movement would remain effective until the demands put forth by the students' body were fulfilled, TKS president Shimri Raising and general secretary Yuimi Vashum stated in the statement.

Alleging that the real threat to tribal existence, identity, land and culture is the State Government itself, the students' body threatened to resort to civil movement even to the extent of demanding a separate statehood for the hills if the situation would so compel.

The student leaders said that they were fully aware of the aggressive territorial pursuit of the State Government targeting the Hill Areas through legislative fraud such as the Manipur International University Act, 2021 and now the newly introduced Manipur Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion & Facilitation) Bill, 2021 .

They reminded "there is no government Khas land in the Hill Areas of Manipur; the ownership of land situated in the hill villages of Manipur vests in the villagers themselves; and that the tribals within the state do not hold their land under the State Government as also being recently approved by the High Court of Manipur itself" .

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