Prohibit census enumerators from other districts: COPTAM
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 08, 2011:
The Committee on Protection of Tribal Areas Manipur (COPTAM) has expressed today strong reservation about the intent of State government of Manipur in matters of census of tribal population of the State and has asked village chiefs and public leaders not to entertain census enumerators and supervisors coming from other districts.
"COPTAM appeals to the village chiefs, public leaders and other concerned (individuals) not to entertain census enumerators and supervisors coming from other districts," Thangkam Lupheng, secretary of the tribal body said.
Lupheng has also strongly condemned, through the statement, the policy of the State government to enforce a fix decadal growth rate for the tribals of Manipur.
Expressing its wishes for smooth completion of National Census 2011 and urging all concerned to create conducive atmosphere to that end, COPTAM articulated its apprehension "over the negligence of the State government of Manipur to its rightful and genuine demands and for remaining silent till today".
Condemning the government on the policy it pursues in exploiting the tribals and alienating their rights by having conducted a controversial overlapping census (during the first phase of the ongoing census operation), the tribal rights body had earlier alleged that, "overlapping census is a result of revenue collection in some parts of hill districts whose land records are maintained by the valley districts giving rise to overlapping of district boundaries i.e.distorting the original boundaries".
Therefore, CoPTAM had demanded for the transfer of land records and restoration of original district boundaries had demanded the state government to maintain the original Hill District Boundary on the basis of village boundaries falling within the jurisdiction of the hill district for all practical purposes.
It has also been demanding for the conduct of Census operation to be undertaken by the respective Hill District administration for all villages which comes under their jurisdiction.
Through a statement today, it has asked the government to stop forcible imposition of urbanization in Moreh, an Indo-Myanmar border town, against the interest of the majority local tribals.
But all the while the tribal body has expressed its preparedness to intensify its demands through an all out agitations in the nearest possible time with the support of the people and various social and students' organizations until it is fulfilled.
With the second and final phase of the ongoing national census operation 2011 to begin tomorrow, COPTAM has firmed up its stand by appealing to the village chiefs, public leaders and all concerned not to entertain census enumerators and supervisors coming from other districts.