ATSUM on hill issues
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, December 18 2012: Perturbed by the injudicious attitude of the State Government, the All Manipur Tribal Students' Union (ATSUM) has today threatened to launch a series of agitations if the Government remains indifferent the union's demands in the Winter session of Manipur Legislative Assembly slated for December 19-20 .

ATSUM general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang said this while addressing a press meet at the office premises of Zeliangrong Students' Union, Manipur (ZSU) at Namdalong in Imphal.

He said the seven demands made by ATSUM to the State Government are legitimate.

The demands include institution of a Manipur state commission for the Scheduled Tribes, setting up of B Ed centres in all the five hill districts, adequate staff and infrastructures for the hill areas, reservation for the SCs and STs in recruitment of Junior MCS and protection of indigenous village authority elections.

ATSUM had submitted a memorandum enclosed with the above seven demands to the Chief Minister on November 27 .

Shatsang said the union has been persistently pushing for the demands to the state Government with serious contemplation while alleging that the tribal ministers and MLAs are too sitting idle in their chairs neglecting the plight of the tribal people.

"We have already urged both the ruling and opposition parties to bring up the matter in the upcoming session of Manipur assembly.

If they fail to discuss the matter in the assembly, we might take up a series of intense agitations if not in the form of bandh or blockade," he warned.

He, however, said ATSUM is still looking forward for a positive response from the side of the state Government, he added.

Last month, ATSUM in its lengthy memorandum submitted to the chief minister of Manipur had demanded Manipur State Commission for the Scheduled Tribes.

ATSUM also demanded for the setting up of B.Ed centres in the hill districts.

It also demanded that adequate teaching and non-teaching staff in the education institutions in the hill districts with better infrastructure.

Signed by its president Maun Tombing and its general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang, ATSUM in its memorandum had said, "It has been our long standing aspiration to find a State Commission of the Scheduled Tribes in Manipur under the Article 338A of the Indian Constitution which would usher in all round Development and progress in respect of thee Tribal people in this eastern most part of the Indian Union.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes which came in to force on 19th February, 2004 has failed to provide adequate service to the state of Manipur a it is based on the distant centre in Shillong" .

According to the ATSUM memorandum, the state of Karnataka in 2002 had established the State Commission for SC/ST under the name and style 'The Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Tribes Act, 2002'.It said the tribal population is the second largest in the state of Manipur but the pace of development is rather too slow till today comparing to that of the non-tribal populace.

There has been the Manipur state Commission for OBC which meant to safeguard the rights of the other backward classes, the ATSUM representation added.

In the light of the above facts and circumstances, it is our earnest plea that the Manipur State Commission for the ST be set up in the earnest date, the tribal students' body stated.

ATSUM then demanded for the setting up of B.Ed centres in hill districts of Manipur.

"Even the HSLC examination centres are very often treated as temporary arrangement subject to omission and commission.

It is demanded that B.Ed centres be set up in all the five hill districts where TET can be conducted," the tribal students' body demanded.

ATSUM also had mentioned that the crisis in the newly set up Indra Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) Regional Compus in Manipur is put to a situation of breaking down totally because all the required infrastructures and issues have not been properly attended to by the authorities concerned.

"There is no end to the students' agitations against many lapses in the University.

Xerox copy of the MoU signed between students and the vice chancellor is enclosed herewith for kind perusal.

It is our earnest plea for your urgent intervention before things turn from bad to worse," ATSUM noted.

One point of the ATSUM memorandum said, "We demand adequate number of both teaching and non-teaching staff in the educational institutions in the hill areas of Manipur state.

We also demand that proper infrastructures for the educational institutions in the five hill districts be provided promptly as to facilitate smooth functioning of the academic sessions" .

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