JD-U flays
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 18 2015 : The allegations that hill people were not consulted and they were caught unaware when the State Assembly passed three Bills for protection of indigenous people on August 31 is unacceptable to JD-U for the three Bills were passed after several rounds of discussion for nine months.

Speaking to media persons at their Babupara office today, JD-U ate unit president M Tombi said that Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing and Rural Development Minister Francis Ngajokpa were present at the meeting held in the Chief Minister's conference hall in order to bring a consensus on the Bills but none of them made any comment.

Earlier on August 3, 2014, a consultative meeting was held on the issue of ILPS.

Apart from former Chief Ministers namely Rishang Keishing, RK Dorendra and Radhabinod Koijam, opinions and suggestions of Kuki community leaders were also sought and noted down.

It would be misplaced to allege that hill people were not consulted before the three Bills were passed.

Saying that he was one of the members of the high power committee constituted in connection with the popular demand for ILPS, Tombi maintained that experts and leaders of different communities took part in discussing the issue at different points of time.

Even as Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam has appealed most politely to all sections of the society to come forward if they want to remove or insert any clauses, nobody has come forward so far.

Even after knowing fully well about the three Bills, some sections have been still agitating against the three Bills and this is rather disappointing.

Tombi then appealed to all the people to support the three Bills in the larger interest of the State and keeping in view the future.

He went on to assert that the BJP-led Central Government is anti-Kuki.

Around 2000 people were killed and hundreds of houses were burnt down in the Naga-Kuki clash of 1992-94 but the BJP is yet to pay any attention to the issue.

Even though Kuki UG groups signed a tripartite SoO pact with the State and Central Governments, no political dialogue has been initiated till date.

Meanwhile, the Nagaland Governor has declared that 4000 cadres of NSCN-IM would be absorbed in Indian military forces.

This is a clear indication that the Central Government has no long term policy with regard to Kuki UG groups while it is willing to offer all kinds of benefits to NSCN-IM, Tombi said.

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