Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 04:
The Imphal Bench of the Gauhati High Court has admitted an application seeking impleadment of IndoMyanmar Tribal Development Association secretary Benjamin Mate as party respondent and issued notice for modification of the interim order passed by it on December 14 last year staying the Delimitation process in Manipur.
The Division Bench notice was issued by Justice IA Ansari and Justice UB Saha after hearing an application in writ petition (PIL no.16 of 2005) filed through Benjamin Mate on behalf of All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM); Kuki Movement for Human Rights, Chandel; Rural Area Association for Development; Kuki Chiefs' Association and others.
Disclosing this while talking to mediapersons at Hotel Imphal here today, Benjamin Mate said his application had been strongly contented by the counsel of the petitioners including Congress and other political parties apart from being supported by the Government counsel.
However, Sundeep Srivastava and Sanjeev Deo of Legal Vistas, Law Offices, New Delhi who were his counsel strongly argued against stalling the delimitation process in Manipur as it would not only deprived three reserved seats of the tribal people of Manipur in the legislative body but it would also affect the interest of the tribal people, Mate said.
The next hearing of the case would be held on December 18.