Public convention demands rollback of CAB 2016
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 20 2019: A public convention held today at Manipur University, Centenary Hall, Canchipur resolved that the CAB 2016 should be withdrawn immediately.

The public convention held under the aegis of AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK and AIMS also resolved to appeal to all Rajya Sabha MPs to oppose the Bill.

The third resolution says that a special session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly should be convened on or before January 30 to oppose the Bill.

The fourth resolution called upon all political parties, CSOs and people of Manipur as well as North East India to launch a mass civil resistance movement collectively and sustain it until the Bill is withdrawn.

Speaking at the public convention which was moderated by senior citizen Lokendra Arambam, UCM president Sunil Karam asserted that there are only two resolutions which can/must be adopted by the people of Manipur.

"We must decide what we must do if the CAB 2016 is passed i'n the Rajya Sabha and which position we must take if the Bill is not passed", Sunil said.

Notwithstanding repeated appeals, reminders and sustained civil movements, the Central Government always undermined or ignored the interests of the people of Manipur.

"It's time for all the people to ponder over how long we should wait for the elusive Constitutional safeguard", said the UCM president.

The passage of CAB 2016 in the Lok Sabha is a wake up call to all the people of the North East.

It's time for the people of Manipur and the North East to adopt a collective decision for right to self determination and pursue it vigorously, Sunil said.

Cultural activist Ningthouja Lancha remarked that an idea of providing shelter to Hindu and non-Muslim minorities who are persecuted in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan seems to be embedded in CAB 2016 but it does not mention anything about Meitei Hindus of Myanmar.

Myanmar is one of the countries where Hindus are persecuted systematically, Lancha pointed out.

As such, the CAB 2016 is quite racist and it is tantamount to racial discrimination of the peoples of North East region within the country, he alleged.

"Rather than restricting our perspective and analysis on the particular Bill, it' s time to raise a collective demand for pan-Manipur political autonomy against the incumbent Central Government' s attempt to transform Indian laws into racist laws", he asserted.

Presenting an account on the statistical data of the indigenous peoples of the North East, Assistant Prof Dr Chinglen Maisnam said that the population of indigenous people has been declining while the population of non-local people has been growing rapidly.

In case the CAB 2016 becomes an Act, the hill areas of Manipur will be worst affected as indicated by the failure of neighbouring Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh to check influx of non-local people in spite of the fact that ILPS is in force in these States, Dr Chinglen said.

Change and Peace Building Action Director RK Bobychand, social activist Johnson Elangbam, Associate Prof Dr Mangoljao Maibam of NG College and CIRCA president Somorendro Thokchom too spoke at the public convention.

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