Now or never says Autonomous Hill State proponents
Source: The Sangai Express / S Singlianmang Guite

Lamka, August 19 2013: Against the backdrop of the Chief Minister's tough posture against disintegrating the State in the form of an Alternative Arrangement or a Kuki Statehood, two prominent speakers at Hill Peoples' Forum-Manipur's programme held today at Rengkai called for the formation an autonomous hill State within the State of Manipur necessarily without disintegrating it.

Recent developments, including the ST status sought by the Meitei community has increased all the more the need to promptly address the hill tribes' aspiration of securing political autonomy, said Dr John Pulamte, adding 'it's now or never' .

He said the British had included the hill areas under the administration of Manipur king solely as an administrative arrangement to protect the former's interest.

'The Meiteis have never considered us as one of them.

Had that been the case Raja Goukhothang would not have been taken as a prisoner,' said Pulamte who sought to justify his call for hill autonomy as something that was due since long.

He said, even now they were aware that the tribal people are not at all content, but instead of assuaging them (tribal), the Meiteis want the entire State to be a hill State, seeking ST status and aiming to gobble anything and everything all by themselves.

He also encouraged the gathering not to hesitate in taking initiatives to uphold their rights, culture and customs, and ancestral land.

'Now is the time for us, for women bodies, Churches and others to act so that we secure what is due to us, and leave not our fate only to the hands of our armed groups' .

Another speaker, K Guite citing similar backdrop said, 'therefore, the fight is now or never.' He said the Autonomous Hill State under Artcile 244A of the Indian Constitution has the distinction of not offending anyone.

The Nagas, Kukis, Hmars, Zomis or for that matter the Meiteis have nothing to loss, it will only create opportunity for everyone and uphold the state's territorial integrity, he added.

On the practicality of the AHS, Guite claimed, the Centre has already told them that it was a genuine case whose feasibility is now on the peoples' court.

'Let us for now sacrifice our nomenclature and go for an issue, struggle based on the issue for we will have plenty of time to do the former if we brace the later now,' pleaded Guite even as he warned the hill people of committing a political suicide in this age and time, that will be felt for generations.

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