Chandel bandh against violation of ECI guidelines
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network

Imphal, November 26 2011: Normal life in Chandel district headquarters and Chakpikarong sub-division of Manipur were on Saturday crippled due to a 12-hour strike called jointly given by Anal Naga Taangpi (ANTA), the apex body of Anal Naga tribe and Anal Lenruwl Taangpi (ALT) to protest against the state Election Commission for not conforming to the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the electoral list and revision 2012 in the border villages of Khengjoy sub-division of the district.

People remained closed door, and government establishments and normal business activities were paralyzed while vehicles stayed off the roads in Chandel headquarters and Chakpikarong sub-division due to the total bandh which was enforced from 5 am and ended at 6 pm Saturday.

Concerned SDO/BDO of Khengjoy sub-division and enumerators are opening unofficial temporary private offices at Imphal and Sugnu for enrolment of non-Nagas without perwonal hearing in order to cover up impersonation photography process in the border villages, WNG Kohring Victor, president ANTA alleged while talking to reporters at the office of the student body at Chandel headquarters today.

Kohring pointed out that non-resident persons (NRPs) from Chin group of Myanmar, Churanchandpur and Sugnu were called in to impersonate the bogus names to enroll in the process and said that in Naga inhabited areas of Chandel district, the concerned SDO/BDO in cahoots with enumerators enforced double standard guidelines by serving short notice for claims/objections.

Two thousand legitimate Anal people aged between 20-55 years are not given proper privileges to enroll their names in the electoral roll as the citizens of the country, he contended.

The electoral roll initiated by the ECI in the border villages is "absurd and bogus" and hence the commission is humbly requested to depute a fact finding expert team to rectify the anomalies by using remote sensing and biometric devices with the help of security personnel before the final print of the same, Kohring added.

ANTA and ALT also urged the state Election Commission to give another 20 days to the left out Naga electors for photograph process.

Saying that the Chakpi Multi-purpose mega project does not comply with the world Commission of Dams (WCD), the two student bodies asserted that the project violates the Environment Protection Acts.

They also urged the state government to cancel the project and warned that failing which they would be forced to resort to democratic means of agitation.

PS Monihring, president ALT, who was also speaking at the press meet accused the state Government, particularly the education department of neglecting the legitimate demands of the people in replacement of transferred lecturers of United College, Lambung, Chandel.

Even though the Central Government has listed the United College as the first NAAC accredited college in the hill districts of Manipur, the state Government has been neglecting the need of the college by transferring 32 lecturers from the college at random without bothering to send their replacement even after the repeated intimations and appeals till November 15, he regretted.

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