ATSUM to go ahead with bandh, economic blockade : 20th nov21 ~ E-Pao! Headlines

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ATSUM to go ahead with bandh, economic blockade
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 19 2021: All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) on Friday announced that it will go ahead with the 24-hour total-shutdown in all hill districts of Manipur with effect from midnight of November 19.This decision was taken after a meeting with the chief minister N Biren and the hill student leaders on Friday failed to bring any concrete solution, the Union stated.

In a release, ATSUM information & publicity secretary Khaiminlen Doungel said that an official discussion between the state government and ATSUM, All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), Kuki Students' Organisation-General Headquarters (KSO-GHQ) and ATSUM federating units was held at Chief Minister's office on Friday noon in the presence of the chief minister to discuss the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) recommended "Manipur (Hill Areas) ADC Bill, 2021 on receipt of meeting invitation from the state government.

The positions of both the parties were placed in the meeting but it could not find any agreeable solution.

Therefore, the announced agitations of the students' bodies will go ahead as scheduled including a 24-hour total shutdown with effect from November 19 midnight in all hill districts of Manipur and indefinite economic blockade along the national highways from November 22, it added.

ATSUM maintained that the relentless effort of the state government to misguide the public by constantly claiming that the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 1971 is a Parliament Act and cannot be repealed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly is unfortunate.

The Manipur Gazette (Extraordinary) published by the Secretariat: Law and Legislative Affairs, Government of Manipur, dated October 27, 2008 clearly stated that the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 1971 has continued to be in force in the state of Manipur with necessary adaptations under the Manipur (Adaptation of Laws) Order, 1972 .

Accordingly, the Manipur Legislative Assembly had repealed the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 1971 in the year 2000 by enacting the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 2000 (Manipur Act No 11 of 2000), it pointed out.

The Union continued that corresponding upon the precedent of the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 1971 being repealed in the year 2000 and the rule of law, the state government should stop misleading the public immediately and convene a Special Legislative Assembly to table the HAC Recommended Manipur (Hill Areas) ADC Bill, 2021.ATSUM appealed to every right thinking populace of the state to support the movement which aims to consolidate fraternity among all communities of the state.

Meanwhile, different student bodies of the hill districts have extended their support to the proposed agitation.

Kuki Students' Organisation, Sadar Hills declared its full endorsement of the proposed 24-hour shutdown called by ATSUM in all the hill districts of Manipur on November 20 against the state government for not convening a Special Assembly Session on "The Manipur (Hill Areas) ADC Bill, 2021", recommended by the HAC.

It stated that the Bill is made in the interest of not only the tribals but also the whole state since it is meant to develop the hills.

The students' body also wondered at the government's attitude and felt betrayed for neglecting to convene a Special Assembly Session to table the said Bill in the interest of the populace of hill areas.

It also reminded the government that constantly obstructing development of the hill areas, which is 90 per cent of the state geographical area, will further the hill-valley divide, which the present government is claiming to have bridged and if, the government keeps opposing development in the hill areas, slogans such as "Chingmi Tammi Amatani" will hold no water.

KSO Sadar Hills further appealed to all the transport associations, including owners of private vehicles, and the general public to extend cooperation during the said total shutdown as it will be strictly enforced within the jurisdiction of the organisation.

In the same vein, KSO Ukhrul district, KSO Jiribam and Tamenglong, KSO TengnoupaL Joint Students' Bodies Churpchandpur have expressed their endorsement of ATSUM s stir and warned of strictly enforcing it in their respective jurisdictions.

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