Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 09 2010:
In the midst of objections by several hills based civil bodies in holding elections to the Autonomous (Hills) Districts Councils under the Manipur (Hills) Autonomous District Council, Valley Rose Hunyo, a social worker today while expressing glad to the government initiative to hold the ADC elections demanded reservation of 33% of the seats of the councils for the women.
She has appraised to consider the demand to the state Chief Secretary and to the chairman of the Hill Areas Committee of Manipur Legislative Assembly praying them for providing quotas of the women in the election.
She is glad to learn that government is initiating for the conduct of the election of the ADCs after a long gap of more than 20 years and it will not be a blance one between the tribal women of the state and other women of the country if 33% seats are reserved for the women in the election.
The original District Council Act, 1971 did not include provision of reservation for women.
In the same manner the third amendment Act, 2008 of the ADC does not include provision of the reservation of seats for women even though the Central government extended 33% seat reservation for women in all the elected local bodies like the Panchayati Raj, Municipal Councils etc.
across the country.
"Considering the imbalance between the tribal women of the state and other women of the great country called "India", I feel it is justified to demand inclusion of women's quota reservation in the Autonomous District Council Act before the proposed election is held," Valley Rose who had contested election to the state Assembly.