ATSUM urges
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 08 2020:
The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) has endorsed the proposed bandh called by the All Jiribam Tribal Union (AJTU), a conglomerate of tribal CSOs of Jiribam, on January 9, in their demand for the restoration of the payment of hill house tax by tribal villages of Jiribam District.
There is a documentary proof that the hill house tax was paid and tribal identity and rights were enjoyed in Jiribam by tribals for over a hundred years, said a statement issued by ATSUM general secretary.
Each tribal village of Jiribam occupies tracks of hilly land with village land schedule duly recognized by the concerned authority.
Even when Jiribam was a subdivision under Imphal East District the tribal villages paid hill house tax, it continued.
Claiming that the payment of hill house tax was stopped in 2017, it lamented that the State Government is still adamant to the genuine demand of the tribals of Jiribam in spite of many appeals and memoranda submitted.
ATSUM then urged the State Government to restore the payment of hill house tax by tribal villages and to look into the matter at the earliest.