Remapping : ZYF, AZSU state position
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 16 2011: Elucidating their position on the vexed issue of Sadar Hills district, the Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) and the All Zeliangrong Students' Union (AZSU) have urged the Committee on Re-Organisation of Administrative and Police District Boundaries, to merge Zeliangrong villages/areas of Senapati (which include Sadar Hills) and Churachandpur district to Tamenglong district during the public hearing held yesterday at the State Chief Secretary's Office.

Strong objections from the Zeliangrong people were raised when their contiguous areas were bifurcated for creation of Sadar Hills Sub-Division in 1933 .

Since then the demand of the Zeliangrong people to restore their land started by submitting numerous memoranda and representations to the Central Government as well as the State Government.

Acknowledging the ground reality of the demand raised by the Zeliangrong people to merge and restore their bifurcated land, Secretary, Revenue Department, Government of Manipur had issued direction through TELEGRAM message marked as "Matter Most Urgent" dated 6/12/1989 to the Deputy Commissioners of Senapati, Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts to submit report within 15 days time from the receipt of the said "TELEX" for fixing district boundaries, claimed a joint press release issued by the ZYF and the AZSU.

The respective Deputy Commissioners of Senapati, Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts had already submitted necessary report to the State Government but the Government failed to fulfil the legitimate demand of the Zeliangrong people till date.

The delay in implementation of merger/amalgamation of the Zeliangrong villages/areas by the Government of Manipur had also attracted the Union Home Minister, to intervene and issued 'directive' Vide D.O No.9/15/89-CD/CEN dated 14/5/1990 addressed to the then Chief Minister of Manipur, R.K.Ranbir to merge Zeliangrong villages/areas to Tamenglong district.

With regard to the issue of re-organising district boundaries, the opinion of the Zeliangrong people is very clear and the same has been incorporated in the various memoranda and representations already submitted to the Central Government as well as the State Government.

As such, immediate merger/amalgamation of Zeliangrong people's lands to Tamenglong district is a legitimate demand which the Committee must fulfil this time, they asserted.

Claiming that the ZYF and the AZSU learnt that some individuals intimidated the Zeliangrong villages and other non Kuki communities residing in the present Sadar Hills to give their Village Authority blank letterheads, they warned those individuals to immediately stop such activities before anything negative breaks out.

"The Committee holding the public hearing in this issue in particular and the State Government in general are informed to treat such documents as bogus and fake documents and if the Committee takes any decision based on such documents, it would be considered as pre-meditated and pre-planned, orchestrated by the Committee at the behest of pro Sadar Hills district elements", they cautioned.

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