ATSUM to take up tribal issue at Delhi
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, October 19 2013 :
As part of its movement on tribal issues in Manipur, All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) is organising a programme at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi on October 21 to discuss the Article 371(C), setting up of a separate commission for the tribals in Manipur to take care of their healtcare and education.
ATSUM leaders said that a large number of scholars from JNU would be participating in programme.
A big number of students based in New Delhi have also expressed their willingness to participate in the event.
New Delhi based advocate Worso Zimik is the co-ordinator of the programme.
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) after October 12 .
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" .
It said the Village Authority Act under the Hill areas' Autonomous District Council (ADC) Act of 1971, has not been in use.