Co-ordinating Committee, ATSUM condemns 'hunting' of tribal leaders by commandos
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 19 2015 : The Co-ordinating Committee, ATSUM on Saturday vehemently condemned the alleged "raid" at Berean Lodge, Dewlahland conducted by the Manipur Police commandos.

A team of Manipur Police commandos led by a Sub-Inspector raided the Berean Lodge, Dewlahland on September 18 at around 8.30 pm asking for ATSUM and ANSAM leaders and using "derogatory words", alleged a press note issued by Information & Publicity Wing of Co-ordinating Committee, ATSUM.

The attempt of the State security force to arrest the leaders of the Committee will add "more fuel to the fire", he said.

It is in the larger interest of the tribal populace that the Committee has given a critique on the three Bills and the "nonsense" of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) for failing to secure its proper functioning under Article 371 C.ATSUM had asked the tribal MLAs to step down on moral grounds before September 30, it said.

The tribal peoples had carried out various forms of agitation against three bills passed by the State Assembly.

The Manipur Government, instead of figuring out the needs of the tribals, had used Police commandos, said the committee.

Manipur Government with its regular strategy of suppressing the tribal people had frequently cracked down on tribal leaders whenever democratic assertion of the tribal rights were made under the Indian Constitution.

These actions had enormously irked the tribal communities in general and the Co-ordinating Committee, ATSUM in particular, the press note said .

The Co-ordinating Committee, ATSUM is no longer in a position to withhold its tolerance and as such, the responsibility for any untoward circumstances in the aftermath of such raid against the tribal leaders in the coming days has to be solely owned up by the State Government, it declared.

Comment