House debates ADC Bill after protest threat, arrest
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 04, 2022 -

IN the run-up to the 12th assembly election held earlier this year, non-tabling of the contentious Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Bill, 2021 in the last session of the House was expected to be the hottest topic for campaigning in the hill areas.

Indeed, candidates of non-BJP parties did try to feast on the issue but not all of them reaped the fruit if one takes note of the fact that substantial number of nominees of the ruling party, including from assembly segments where the pro-BilI agitation was most intense, tasted success in-spite of intense criticisms from both tribal CSOs and regional political organisations against the government's apparent reluctance to place the matter for discussion among the elected people's representatives.

Notably, the pre-poll discourses in the hill areas centred around the Bill while on paper tribal organisations cutting across ethnic and political lines seemed unanimous that the Bill recommended by the Hill Areas Committee of the assembly should have been discussed for enactment without any delay.

On their part, the ruling BJP and its candidates had to do some hard explanation for not endorsing or causing delay in proper examination of the proposed legislation which is primarily aimed at enhancing legislative and executive powers of the ADCs.

With exception of ministers and MLAs in the coalition government elected from the hill area assembly constituencies, who preferred silence over the ADC Bill issue, independent candidates and those who contested under the flag and symbol of non-BJP parties alleged and interpreted non-tabling of the Bill as testament of the establishment's indifferent attitude towards the sentiment of the hill population.

Such anti-government narrative adopted by the oppositions' candidates was on expected lines in view of several tribal civil societies demonstrating restiveness and furiously vocal against non-consideration of the Bill.

Unwilling to upset the tribal electors, some of the candidates even peddled the ideas that successive governments in the state weren't committed to uphold rights of the tribal communities as the government toiled to nullify persistent demeaning remarks against it and insisted that the state government had proposed to the central government to consider granting of more autonomy to the ADCs.

Now that the Bill has been placed for discussion in the on-going assembly session with the intervention of the Governor after ATSUM backed by tribal bodies threatened to impose total shutdown, it remains to be seen how the government will change track for none other than chief minister N Biren himself had stated some months back in a government function at Maram village in Senapati district that certain components of the Bill are beyond the ambit of the state.

The chief minister, however, assured that the government of Manipur will work and act as per the provisions of the constitution of India and would always strive to live up to the expectation of the people and their interests.

Nevertheless, it could be safely stated that neither the ATSUM, which has been spearheading the public movement to denounce the non-tabling of the ADC Bill nor other hill-based civil societies and political activists would rest assured with simply tabling of the proposed legislation unless the demands for its enactment materialise.

Only time will tell, whether or not the Bill sees the light of the day, but every sane person would be hoping that the issue wouldn't create any serious socio-political upheaval in this multi-ethnic state.