CSOs oppose ADC Bill-2021; petition CM, Cong
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 22 2021: Representatives of various civil society organisations (CSOs) submitted memorandum highlighting resolution and recommendation of a discourse held on the ADC Bill- 2020 to chief minister N Biren and opposition leader O Ibobi Singh.

However, as Ibobi was not found present at Congress Bhawan, the CSO members handed over the memorandum to the office secretary instead.

Earlier on Sunday, CSOs namely IPSA, ACOAM Lup, PANDM, IPAK, KANGLAMEI, KIL, CLK and KSA jointly organised a one-day public discourse on 'The Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill 2021' at ESC Club community hall located at Nongmeibung bazar and unanimously resolved to oppose the said Bill from tabling in the ongoing assembly session.

During the public discourse, several resolutions were adopted.

Maintaining that MADC Bill 2021 is a very sensitive, the meeting resolved that the Bill should not be tabled/passed without prior consultation with all the stakeholders of the state.

The MADC Bill 2021 incorporates many provisions and objectives of the contentious Naga Autonomous Territorial Council and Kuki Territorial Council which Manipuri people have been opposing, mentioned one of the resolutions.

While contending that salient features of the Bill bear similarities with all the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitutions which is also not acceptable to majority of the population in the state, it maintained that the Bill reflects the communal, ethnocentric and divisive intent of the vested interest groups with elected representatives misguiding the general population of the hill areas.

Pointing out that all communities and groups who/which stand for the integrity and peaceful co-existence among the ethnic communities of the state should oppose the said Bill, the meeting expressed discontentment towards the communally minded elected leaders from the hill areas saying they are leading campaign to divide the communities rather than uniting them.

Inviting all hill leaders and CSOs to come forward for a transparent discussion and analysis of the contents of the said Bill and cooperate in working out an amicable solution to make an inclusive and judicious Bill acceptable to all stakeholders of the state, the meeting appealed to all the people of the state specially the hill brethren to not fall into the half-hearted, clandestine and ill-intended attempt of the elected few leading the campaign in the name of Hill Areas Committee, just ahead of the election.

The members present in the discourse also appealed to all legislatures to abstain from endorsing such move made by the few elected leaders from the hills and reject the recommendations made by the HAC for dividing the state in the name of effective administration and development.

The public discourse then resolved to submit representation each to the leader of the house and the leader of opposition for taking up necessary actions in this regard.

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