Tribal bodies pitch for ADC Bill, decry Sep 1 order
Source: Chronicle News Service / NNN

Senapati/Imphal, September 07 2021: Various tribal bodies have demanded tabling of the draft Autonomous District Councils (ADC) Bill, 2021 in the Manipur Legislative Assembly and immediate revocation of Assembly speaker's order of inducting new members from unscheduled valley areas into Hill Area Committee (HAC).

A consultative meeting convened by United Naga Council (UNC) on Tuesday to discuss issues related to the proposed ADC Bill, 2021 and the September 1 order of the Speaker adopted two resolutions that out-rightly condemned non-tabling of the ADC Bill and induction of eight MLAs as members of the HAC.

The meeting demanded that the order of the speaker be "cancelled at the earliest".

All Naga Students' Association Manipur, Naga Women Union, Naga People's Movement for Human Rights, CNPO, JTC, NPO, TNL, former presidents of UNC, Naga parliamentarians, former ADC chairmen and senior activists from the Naga community were invited to the meeting.

Meanwhile, Concern Tribal Citizens' Forum organised a meeting of its representatives from Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Noney, Chandel, Tengnoupal, Ukhrul, Kamjong and Kangpokpi districts at Naga-ram community hall, Imphal on September 5 in connection with non-tabling of ADC Bill, 2021 and the appointment of eight MLAs as HAC members In a release, Forum secretary Ngatangmi Hungyo conveyed that the meeting minutely discussed the constitutionality of the proposed ADC Bill, 2021 drafted by the HAC and concluded that, there is nothing detrimental in introducing the Bill in the Assembly for discussion.

As per the provision of Article 371C, HAC of Manipur Legislative Assembly has every constitutional right to introduce the Bill in the House.

Opposition to the proposed ADC Bill, 2021 by the state government before being introduced in the House is unconstitutional.

It is an act of sinister designs to abrogate the spirit and principle of autonomy from the hill districts of Manipur.

The act of the state government is vehemently condemned by the members of the Forum, it asserted.

The release also maintained that the order of the speaker is a threat to peaceful co-existence among the different communities of Manipur.

This act of the speaker is condemned in the strongest term, it added.

The Forum, therefore, urged the state government to call an emergency Assembly session and introduce the ADC Bill, 2021 for discussion.

At the same time, the speaker should withdraw his unconstitutional order appointing non-tribal MLAs as members of HAC.

Failure to comply with this will compel further course of action for protecting the rights of the tribal people of Manipur, it cautioned.

Similarly, a joint release of Kuki Chiefs' Association (KCA), Moreh Block and Hill Tribal Council (HTC), Moreh alleged that continuous arbitrary orders of the BJP led government to bluntly reject the proposed ADC Bill, 2021 and subsequent induction of eight MLAs from the unscheduled valley areas into the HAC have exposed the immaturity of the present government and showed its true colour of following the path of "Might is right" regardless of constitutional validity.

The state government ought to have the wisdom to respect the rights of every community and act more responsibly.

The hill people are not asking for the moon but are seeking their rights well within the ambit of the Indian Constitution, it mentioned.

HTC and KCA urged for immediate revocation of state assembly speaker's order and timely tabling of the proposed ADC Bill, 2021 .

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