Tribal bodies demand declaration of Jiribam as hill district
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Jiribam, November 03 2015: Tribal Rights Demand Committee Jiribam (TRDCJ) demanded the Government to declare Jiribam as a hill district.

In a joint statement, TRDCJ Chairman R Hmar and Secretary B Hmar said that in connection with the demand made by Jiribam District Demand Committee (JDDC), a public meeting was convened on Tuesday in the presence of Tribal Union Jiribam, Zeliangrong Baudi, Hmar Inpui, Kuki Inpi and Paite Tribe council at Tribal Community Hall Jiribam.

The statement said that there was not a single tribal representative in the Jiribam District Demand Committee (JDDC) and that the tribal people cannot endorse the demand of the JDDC for a full fledged revenue district.

The tribal people are not against the demand of JDDC but the status of the district should be a Hill District, said TRDCJ.

"Jiribam was declared Hill Area in the first State Assembly election in July, 1948.Under the provision of section 2(j) of the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reform Acts 1960 Jiribam was again declared as Hill area by Presidential Notification.

As such, Jiribam must be administered as a Hill District as it is a Hill Area" the statement added.

TRDCJ further appealed the State Government and the Governor of Manipur to consider the memorandum submitted by various organisations that opted for the up-gradation of Jiribam to a Hill District.

"The intention of the TRDCJ and other tribal apex bodies is not to disturb or dislocate the present status of our Bengali and Meitei brothers but rather it is a measure to safeguard tribal land.

This is so because only in Hill District tribal land will be constitutional protected" the statement said.

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