HAC urged to convene meet on ADC Bill
Source: Chronicle News Service / Newmai News Network

Senapati, July 24 2022: All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) urged the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) to convene a meeting "at the earliest and reiterate the stand on the Autonomous District Council (ADC) Bill, 2021 as unanimously decided on August 16, 2021. The student bodies also urged the HAC that the same resolution be communicated to the state government for tabling of the ADC Bill in the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly session and passing of the same into an act.

In a joint representation submitted to the HAC chairman on Sunday, ANSAM and KSO termed the HAC as vanguard of the tribals in Manipur.

The two bodies said that the HAC should draw a resolute stand to secure the future of "tribal population" in the state.

They said that it is the wishes and the desire of the "tribal populace" to witness the tabling of the HAC recommended ADC Bill 2021 in the ensuing Assembly and passing of the same into an act.

According to the joint representation, ATSUM, ANSAM and KSO had registered strong resentment with a persistent people's movement to the state government for deliberately denying the introduction of the said bill in the Assembly, which is "totally dishonouring and disregarding the constitution and the members of HAC, which is a systematic repression of the tribals in the state".

While remaining that subsequent to the spontaneous agitation, an agreement was signed by the state government with ATSUM, ANSAM and KSO on November 25, 2021 whereby the government agreed to table the ADC Bill in the winter assembly session of 2021. "However, even after a lapse of 8 months, neither was the winter assembly session convened nor the bill introduced in the first session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, which was held in the month of March 2022," they pointed out.

The joint representation said, "In the light of the above facts, we humbly urge that a meeting of the Hill Areas Committee be convened at the earliest and reiterate the stand on ADC Bill, 2021 as unanimously decided on August 16, 2021" .

Comment