ATSUM threatens to resume 48 hours bandh
and ban on national project
Source: IT News
Imphal, November 02 2020:
Accusing the state government of failure to comply with the agreement over the conduct of the Autonomous District Council Election within 10 days, the All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM), has threatened to resume its suspended 48 hours bandh from November 5 and said that it will ban all construction of national projects in the state.
The 48 hours interstate bandh and the ban on national project was announced by the President of ATSUM Seiboi Haokip during a press meet held at KSO office today.
He said that all the undergoing national projects will be shut down.
However, Media, medical and essential services on COVID-19 will be relaxed during the bandh.
Seiboi Haokip said that indefinite bandhs will be contemplated as its course of action if the state authorities continue to remain silent to its demands on holding ADC elections.
ATSUM also mentioned that the ADC election has been postponed for six months which was illegally recommended and resolved by the then Hills Area Committee (HAC) after which the deferment had been accepted through the state cabinet meeting resolution.
However, as per the order of the additional Chief Secretary, Tribal Affairs and Hills the ADC election was endorsed to be held in the intervening months of October and November 2020 after 6 months of postponement with effect from June 1st 2020, he added.
While, the Manipur state Election Commission on August 22 had also sent a letter to the additional Tribal Affairs and Hill that "the state election commission has decided to hold ADC election 2020 under the Manipur Hill Areas District Council elections of members rule 2019 in the mid of November", in order to enable the commission to conduct election on time also advised the government to issue the notification for publication of draft electoral roll of the district constituencies.
It further mention that ATSUM has repeatedly requested the state government to initiate and conduct the ADC election on time through representations to the Chief Minister and Governor, Manipur, but it is very unfortunate that the union peaceful representations were overlooked by the government, he added.
Hence, the President ATSUM stated that the tribal people of the state and ATSUM will not further remain silent in this situation and also will not accept any further deferment of the ADC election.
ATSUM termed the act of ADC election postponement for the reason of rainy season as against the democracy idea and also questioned "when there can be a by-election in the month of November, why not ADC election in November, he added.
The ATSUM however appreciated the orders of the present HAC for its decisive proposal to recommend to the state government for holding of the ADC election on time in November but strongly denounced the act of the state government for staying silent without any notification on the ADC election which had been in their hand for its final decision.
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