Forum accuses Govt of suppressing rights of tribal
Source: Chronicle News Service / Newmai News Network
Imphal, December 01 2022:
The Ex-ADC Members' Forum, Manipur (EAMFM) has accused the Manipur government of trying to suppress the political rights of the tribal people by withholding the elections to the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) on one pretext or the other.
In a statement, the forum said it has been perturbed by the indifferent attitude of the state government towards the ADCs in Manipur.
ADCs are grassroots level political institutions which cannot be suppressed and superseded by bureaucratic institution, the forum said and reminded the state government that elections to the ADCs have been put on hold for two years now.
Non-holding of the democratic process (of election) is a clear deprivation of constitutional and democratic rights of the tribal people, the statement added.
According to EAMFM, tribal people have been continuously demanding empowerment of the ADCs but the state government has been trying its best to suppress the political rights of the tribal people by withholding the ADC elections.
Suppression of democratic rights and superseding political institutions by a bureaucratic institution is something which is unheard of in the democratic history of the country.
To make the matter worse, the state government has been trying to fill up the vacant posts under the ADCs in the absence of elected ADC governments, it said.
Suppression of a democratic process of people's participation whereby taking undue chance of intentional suppression by the state government is an outright deprivation of the rights of tribal people, the forum said, adding that support extended to the government in this regard by some tribal organisations/individuals is something which they will surely regret for their actions against tribal rights and interests.
The forum appealed to all tribal apex bodies, civil society organisations and student organisations to stand up for the rights of the tribal people by ensuring that ADC elections are held at the earliest.
It also appealed to the tribal organisations to speak up against the injustices done to the tribal political institutions (ADCs) and to be vigilant of the government's 'divide and rule' policy in order to attain a secured political future for the tribal people of Manipur.