Sadar Hills issue resurfaces to haunt state government
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Kangpokpi, September 11 2014: More than four decades old Sadar Hills issue is likely to surface again with Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills calling upon all Kuki civil organizations for a public meeting on the issue on September 15 .

The longest public movement ever on the issue which was referred to as '123 days agitation' that covered the period from July 1 to October 31, 2011 ended with signing of an MoU between the state Government and Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) leaders on 31 midnight of October, 2011 at Chief Minister's Secretariat in Imphal.

Interestingly, Sadar Hills movement is likely to take place again with the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills calling a public meeting on the issue at Gamnom-Sapormeina on September 15 .

Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills General Secretary, N.Sehjalien, said that the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills � House of the Kukis- calls a crucial public meeting on the issue of Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council, Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act 1971 (Parliament Act No.76 of 1971, 26 December, 1971) .

Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills has articulated the people's unhappiness on Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who himself declared and vowed to declare Sadar Hills as a full-fledged District within six months after 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly but it failed to materialise even after 3 years, continued Sehjalien.

Apart from Ministers, MLAs, MDCs and former leaders of SHDDC, leaders of block-wise Kuki Inpi, SAHILCA, Kuki Women Union Sadar Hills, Area-wise Chief Associations, Kuki Students' Organization Sadar Hills, TSA Sadar Hills, TTC Sadar Hills, KOHR and various social workers will be attending the meeting, he said.

Some noted writers categorised the Sadar Hills Movement into two phase's viz.

the movement from 1971 to 2010 as First Phase, while the public movement during the year 2011 as the second phase.

If any further movement takes place after the public meeting on September 15, it will be the third phase of Sadar Hills movement in Manipur.

Seikhomang Khongsai, President of Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills asserted that the signed MoU on October 31 midnight in 2011 between the State Government and the SHDDC leaders was not a matter of stones in-lieu of bread and added that the agitation was suspended but the movement for Sadar Hills is kept on alive.

In 1971, during the process for granting full-fledged statehood to Manipur, the government of India promulgated an Act of Parliament, called Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 1971 (vide Section 4 of Sub-Section 3, Bill No.76 of 26/12/1971) for safeguarding the hill areas and protection of the tribals in Manipur, Seikhomang Khongsai pointed out and said that the Act provides for creation of six Autonomous District Councils in the hill areas of Manipur for ultimate conversion into full-fledged district, viz.

Manipur North Autonomous District (Senapati), Sadar Hills Autonomous District (Sadar Hills), Manipur East Autonomous District (Ukhrul), Tengnoupal Autonomous District (Chandel), Manipur South Autonomous District (Churachandpur) and Manipur West Autonomous District (Tamenglong) .

Thus, a notification was issued by S.M.Krishnatry, the then chief secretary to the government of Manipur (vide No.28/1/71 of dated 14/02/1972).Subsequently, Manipur attained full-fledged statehood in 1972 under Article 371-C of the constitution of India.

And, out of the six created autonomous councils five of them were given full-fledged district, but Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council was not granted District status like the other five councils.

It is still left out without allocating all the provisions as envisaged in the Act of Parliament of 1971 and continues to be under the North District of Manipur awaiting to be declared as a full-fledged district even though it has a fully functional ADC since 1971, the KISH supremo pointed out further.

Referring to the Sadar Hills movement in 2011, the KISH President said the movement was unique in terms of its mass response and the issue having gone up to the level of the Union Government, the Prime Minister of India and the President of India.

Comment