UNC, AITA, KCAM on police district boundary issue
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 14, 2013:
United Naga Council (UNC), All India Tribal Students' Association Delhi (AITSA) and Kuki Chiefs Association, Manipur (KCAM) have voiced their concern over the police district boundary issue of Saikul subdivision, Senapati district of Manipur.
Kuki Inpi, Sailul Gamkai (KISG) and Saikul Area Naga Peoples Organisation (SANPO) sponsored 48 hours Senapati district bandh will begin from midnight of October 14 to register their resentments on the alleged negligence of the state government of Manipur towards their demands made through a memorandum submitted on September 25 for the immediate cancellation of Home department's notofication of June 14, 2011, and to withdraw all the villages of Saikul sub-division included in the police stations of Imphal East district regarding the Police district boundaries and police stations under the jurisdiction of Saikul Sub-Division.
On Monday, the AITSA and KCAM have endorsed the 48-hour Senapati district bandh while the UNC has said the inclusion of 120 tribal villages under Saikul Sub-division of Senapati district under various police stations of Imphal East district and Thoubal district by the Government of Manipur cannot be for anything but to carry out its communal policy to intrude upon the lands of the tribals in the name of security and law and order.
"Why can the tribal villages not continue under the original police stations or if felt necessary, why cannot new police stations be opened up in the respective districts? To create administrative chaos in the land of social divide?," the UNC questioned, adding, "The communal government of Manipur seeks to control the tribals and their land through its policing machinery by tagging the above villages to police stations of the Imphal valley districts and by diluting the distinct district boundaries".
It then said that the Government of India cannot remain a silent spectator when every attempts are being made by the GoM to separate the tribals from effective ownership over their land.
The Manipur Land Reforms and Land Revenue Act (MLR & LR Act) passed by the Parliament is applicable only to the valley area of Manipur.
But the usurpation of tribal lands by the Government of Manipur goes on unabated with subtle policies such as this.
The Government of India will be failing its constitutional obligation of protecting the land of the tribals if it does not intervene and allow the Government of Manipur to have its way and bulldoze over the rights of the tribals, the UNC stated.
Meanwhile, the All India Tribal Students' Association Delhi (AITSA) expresses its solidarity with the demand of the Kuki Inpi Saikul-Gamkai (KISG) and Saikul Area Naga Peoples Organization (SANPO) for maintaining the status quo of the administrative boundaries in the Saikul areas.
It said arbitrarily transferring the administrative areas of the settlement of scheduled tribe communities in 35 villages in Saikul sub-division under administrative jurisdiction of (general) Sagolmang police station, 20 villages under Andro police station, 34 villages under Yaingangpokpi police station and another 10 villages under Nongpok Sekmai police station without the knowledge and consent of the inhabitant, is a matter of serious concern for peace loving people of the state.
"Administrative or sub divisional boundaries in the state were drawn way back in the sixties and seventies.
Secretly and arbitrarily changing administrative boundaries by issuing an office memo without discussing the issue in state assembly, is unbecoming of an act of none other than the state government.
When the world is moving toward universal co-existence, the peaceful existence of the scheduled tribe communities of Manipur have been perpetually disturbed by the very state government in one way or the other in the name of administrative reforms or competency or development," the tribal body added.
"As long as the government continues its nefarious policy of suppressing a section of the society, how can the common people of Manipur participate in building peaceful cohesion in the state?," it asked.
AITSA and the Mongoloid Peoples Forum (MPF) Delhi then appealed to the Government to immediately look into the matter and in the meantime appeal to the Kuki Inpi Saikul-Gamkai and Saikul Area Naga Peoples Organization (SANPO) to refrain from imposing bandh for the time being.
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