Anand decries anti-Bills protest
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 19 2015 :
The protest movement going on at Churachandpur against the PMP Bill 2015, MLR&LR Act (7th Amendment) Bill 2015 and MSE Act (2nd Amendment) Bill 2015 lacks logic and rationale, said MLA RK Anand.
The allegation that the three Bills harm interest of hill people is nothing but deception of the common people, he asserted.
The territorial boundary of Manipur which has a written history spanning over thousands of years is being cha- llenged from different directions.
But the Government of India and other forces inimical to the collective interest of Manipur should understand how far Manipuri people can sacrifice to safeguard the territorial integrity of Manipur.
Speaking at the second foundation day of the Nupi Samaj Welfare Association at Phuramakhong, Nambul Mapal, Anand condemned the undue interference made by the neighbouring States of Nagaland and Mizoram in the internal affairs of Manipur taking advantage of the uproar raised against the three Bills in some hill areas of Manipur particularly Churachandpur.
By making unsolicited statements, some politicians of the two neighbouring States were undermining inter-State as well as Centre-State relationship.
It were not the three Bills passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly which sparked off violent protest movements at Churachandpur, Sadar Hills and Moreh.
There is no complete restriction on free movement of cadres of UG groups under SoO pact.
The mass movement for ILPS or similar legislation was fuelled by the common concern for protection of the State's general population.
Apart from Ministers and MLAs elected from hill districts, leaders of all communities were invited to CLP and other meetings and the issue of ILPS was discussed jointly in the process of drafting the three Bills, Anand asserted.
There was also a gap of 48 hours after the Bills were introduced in the State Assembly.
Copies of the Bills were made available to all Ministers and MLAs.
The Bills were so drafted that they do not affect interest of any community.
As such, mobilization of people and raising an uproar against the three Bills lack any solid basis.
Again the allegation that the Hill Areas Committee was not consulted is a blatant lie.
Draft copies of the Bills were uploaded relevant internet websites and they were put in public domain before they were passed.
The Bills were not referred to the HAC because they were money Bills and they did not affect Scheduled matters of hill areas.
Asking whether the Ministers and MLAs elected from hill districts are not representatives of hill people, RK Anand asserted that all the incumbent MLAs were elected through adult franchise under the Constitution of India.
MLAs elected from hill districts are representatives of hill people.
One cannot simply contend that they were not consulted when their representatives have full knowledge about the three Bills.
Floating false propaganda by way of distributing malicious pamphlets which led to fatalities was a crime.
All the culprits should be booked and punished according to law.
It is a matter of serious concern that Meiteis who have a liberal worldview are being challenged repeatedly, he continued.
He also condemned the Nagaland Legislative Assembly's resolution which demanded integration of all Naga inhabited areas under one administrative roof.
Forcing smaller ethnic groups to join the Naga family at gun point with the primary objective of creating a Naga-exclusive State is rather abominable, he added.
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