TNL bats for better deal for Ukhrul, Kamjong
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik
Ukhrul, July 24 2024:
The Tangkhul Naga Long held a joint sitting last Friday with Minister Khashim Vashum and MLA Leishiyo Keishing at the TNL president's office chamber at Viewland and discussed various important issues.
A statement issued by the TNL said the discussion was fruitful and brought understanding on various issues concerning jurisdiction of Yangpokpi police station, bifurcation of hill districts, lack of infrastructure development in Tangkhul area, resource and fund allocation in Ukhrul and Kamjong, and free movement regime.
The meeting agreed to give the issues priority and expedite the necessary processes for addressing them, it said.
The meeting discussed the issue concerning Yangpokpi police station and demanded it be "restored" and brought within Ukhrul district.
No extraordinary justification exists for the present administrative arrangement.
What is more absurd is the total non-compliance with Constitutional mandate that entails approval of the HAC vide Article 371(C) for such an arrangement affecting the hills, said the TNL pushing for restoring Yangpokpi police station to Ukhrul district without further delay.
Initiatives must also be taken on top priority for speedy rectification of territorial jurisdictions of the hill districts that were summarily and arbitrarily bifurcated and annexed, said the TNL.
The arbitrary acts of bifurcation and relocation have caused unspeakable hurts to human sentiments and emotions apart from creating avoidable unnecessary administrative inconveniences.
The most absurd element in the exercise however, is the unconstitutionality of it where the institution of the HAC was completely bypassed in direct contravention of Article 371(C) of the Constitution.
Therefore, all 10 Naga MLAs at the initiative of the NPF MLA in collaboration with the UNC and other Naga tribes' Hohos would initiate necessary actions for time bound rectifications, it said.
Action must also be taken on a war footing to ensure full-fledged functioning of Government institutions in Tangkhul areas.
There are several Government institutions, which though, opened years and even decades ago, have only proven to be white elephants-symbols of insult and injustice to the people, said the TNL.
Age-old typical modus operandi of the Manipur Government is the practice of erecting foundation stones followed by construction of name-sake structures without first providing requisite infrastructure like schools, health care centres, policing and banking facilities.
The end result turns out to be placing the cart before the horse that effectively renders all such Government institutions dysfunctional, said the TNL.
Therefore, several such institutions like SDOs, BDOs, other district level institutions, otherwise left to rot away, must be brought back on track and their functionality ensured at 100% in the shortest possible time, added the TNL.
The meeting also discussed the issue pertaining to allocation of funds and resources related to health, education, social welfare, agriculture, local bodies/authorities, infrastructure etc to the hills, particularly Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.
There has been a consensus to adopt a collaborative approach for proper and transparent allocation and distribution of funds and resources, it said.
The joint meeting with the MLAs discussed the "life & death issue" concerning scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) .
"The Government of India, on the pretext of containing the adverse fallouts of Meetei and Zo-Kuki conflict, has now taken recourse to a diabolical plan for erection of fencing walls along the boundary between India and Myanmar," TNL said.
The scrapping of the FMR in Naga inhabited areas is like rubbing salt on wounds.
"We Nagas are not wild animals that we should be fenced off and segregated into your sanctuaries.
Denial of blood relationship (only to subserve the exclusive interests of certain communities) is denial of human rights of the gravest kind and therefore shall never be accepted," said the TNL.
"This being a grave political issue, it is agreed upon that the Naga political platform holders viz MLAs and MP should initiate timely political actions against this diabolical program of the Government.
We the civil societies shall wholeheartedly support with whatever necessary, all such political initiatives," it added.
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