ATSUM demands delimitation exercise
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Imphal, March 01 2023:
The All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) has demanded that delimitation exercise should be carried out in Manipur at the earliest.
According to ATSUM, a meeting of the ATSUM Sub-committee on Delimitation was held today to discuss the long pending delimitation exercise in Manipur.
The sub-committee comprising representatives from the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) and the ATSUM deliberated on the issue in which serious concerns were raised as to why the Election Commission of India fails to conduct delimitation Manipur and why the State Government is silent on the matter.
"This is akin to violation of the fundamental rights under Article 14 of the Constitution of India and as such the ATSUM demands that delimitation exercise must be carried out in the State at the earliest," the apex tribal student body of Manipur demanded.
According to ATSUM, the Ministry of Home Affairs, in an office memorandum dated 19th July, 2022 issued to the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice had already conveyed the decision that the Legislative Department may consider requesting the Election Commission of India to initiate delimitation exercise in Assam and Manipur based on Census 2001 .
"Consistent with the decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs, steps have been taken up to carry out a delimitation exercise in Assam but in respect of Manipur the whole gamut of delimitation exercise seems to be completely ignored," it alleged.
Therefore, the "ATSUM and the people of the State '' cannot remain a mute spectator to this 'injustice,' the tribal student body said.
It further said that the Election Commission of India has to consider carrying out the delimitation exercise at the earliest.
"At the same time, the Manipur Government has to earnestly pursue the matter with ECI so that delimitation is conducted in the State as done by the Government of Assam, the ATSUM added.
The tribal student body then said it will explore whatever option is available so that its demand is heard and met in order to uphold the rights of the people.
The ATSUM then expressed solidarity and support to the Delimitation Demand Committee for the NE States (DDC-NE) as well as the North East Students' Forum on Delimitation (NESFOD) and pledged to extend whatever assistance it could to the two organisations.