TSA submits memo, highlights grievances
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, September 16 2014: The Thadou Students' Association-General Headquarters (TSA-GHQ) has submitted a lengthy memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the issues confronting the Manipur hills.

The memorandum asserted that there are 14 higher secondary schools in the hill districts of Manipur which are served by only 17 regular and 259 contractual basis lecturers.

On the other hand, there are 25 higher secondary schools in Manipur valley area, which are served by 434 regular and 455 contract lecturers.

Despite BEd course being a requisite qualification for the teaching profession, no BEd study centre has been set-up in the hill districts.

No power has been bifurcated to the separate office of the Additional Directorate of Educa-tion(S) Hills, the TSA-GHQ memorandum said.

The memorandum said that the State Election Commission Manipur vide order no.12/1/2012-Sec notification of July 27, 2012 announced general election in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur Zilla Parishads and all Gram Panchayats but 18 hill villages were included in the Gram Panchayat/Zilla Parishad constituencies although they came under the jurisdiction of the present Autonomous District Councils and pay Hill House Tax to the Manipur Govt, through their respective Headman/ Chief.

It alleged that the Manipur Government held the six Autonomous District Councils election only to save the image of Manipur Government in the eyes of the Central Government.

The TSA memorandum also alleged that in exercise of the power conferred by Article no.371(C) of the Indian Constitution, former President VV Giri issued an order by an extraordinary gazette of India at New Delhi on June 20, 1972 with respect to the State of Manipur and placed development and economic planning within the plan allocation for the Hill Areas along 13 other items under the second schedule of the order within the purview of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC).

However, almost all the development and economic planning within the plan allocation are done without consulting the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) or the Tribal and Hills Department which have been declared as nodal agencies but in reality are inert which is self-explanatory of the manipulation and centralization of the executive and administrative power by the State.

It will not be far-fetched to say that the statutory laws in respect of Hill Areas, i.e Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, 1971, Manipur(Village Authority in Hill Areas) Act, 1956, Manipur State Hill People (Administration) Regulation Act, 1947 are ineffective and thus have become redundant.

It also alleged that the Home Department's notification of June 14, 2011, wherein inclusion of more than 120 villages of Saikul Sub-Division of Sadar Hills/ Senapati district including some villages of Ukhrul district and Tamenglong district under the police jurisdiction of Imphal East district and Thoubal district is a clear manifestation of encroachment into hill areas in a systematic way.

It is also not surprising that the land revenue records of many villages under Chandel, Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Tamenglong and Senapati districts are in the custody of their adjacent valley districts.

With the existence of 200 point roster (Manipur Reservation of vacancies in post and service for Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes), the innocent tribal populace have been losing seats particularly at the time of piecemeal recruitment due to the fact that the initial position of reservation placing SI.

No.1 in 100 roster is now placed in SI.

No.4 in 200 roster, it added.

On the census issue, the TSA said as per the latest statistical data reflected in 2011 census report, the roster quota for the tribal should be 38 per cent and not the prevailing 31 pc that has been in vogue for decades without changing the figures of percentage despite numerical growth of population in the Hills.

Adding fuel to the fire, most of the departments have started inviting application for piecemeal recruitments with ulterior motives to manipulate the rights and privileges of the tribal.

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