Centre's involvement imperative : CCpur JAC
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 18 2017:
The Joint Action Committee Against Anti Tribal Bills (JAC-AATB) said today that unless the Central Government is involved in the talk, the prevailing issue cannot be resolved.
JAC-AATB Convenor, Mangchinkhup stated today that without 'Constitutional protection/safeguard' of the tribal people and their lands "issues such as the prevailing ones will crop up from time to time as the State Government can introduce anything at will against the interests of the tribals" .
In order to resolve the issue once and for all the JAC-AATB delegation will be going to New Delhi soon to discuss the issue with leaders of the Central Government, according to Mangchinkhup.
He said the situation is such that the involvement of the Central Government is imperative.
"It will not be proper for anyone to just close the issue after paying compensation or ex-gratia to the tribal martyrs," stated Mangchinkhup, and added, "These nine tribals have laid down their precious lives for tribal lands and people" .
On the next round of talks with the State Government of Manipur, Mangchinkhup expressed that uncertainty lurks at the moment.
The JAC-AATB and the Biren Singh Government held the 'preliminary' round of talks on April 7 with both the parties terming it as 'positive'.
On April 10, both the JAC-AATB leaders and the Manipur Government representatives met again for the second time.
However, contrary to the people's expectation, there was no breakthrough in the talk.
On August 31, 2015, the Manipur Assembly passed three Bills which became contentious since then.
The tribal people termed the Bills 'anti-tribal." Nine people were killed and many injured when violence broke out in Churachandpur district following passing of the Bills.
Of the nine bodies, eight are still lying unclaimed at the Churachandpur district hospital mortuary as a deadlock has persisted including burial of the bodies.
On April 22, the ongoing 'tribal movement' spearheaded by JAC-AATB will complete 600 days.
On April 12, the JAC-AATB took a decision to observe the 600th day of the Movement on April 22, 2017 .
Some of the key demands of the Joint Action Committee Against Anti-Tribal Bills are "Constitutional safeguard for ancestral tribal territories and development of tribal people; Restoration of the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms (MLR&LR) Act, 1960 to its original principal Act status; and Justice for the Tribal Martyrs and the injured including declaration of August 31 as an annual State Holiday on the occasion of Tribal Unity Day" .