MTFD calls for hill-valley separation
Source: The Sangai Express

New Delhi, September 24 2015: Representatives of Manipur Tribals Forum, Delhi (MTFD) along with some Members of the Autonomous District Council (ADC) of Churachanpur met Ashok Prasad, Internal Security, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday to apprise him of the meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee on September 22 and called for the separation of the hills and valley.

In a statement sent from Delhi, MTFD said that the team requested Prasad to meet the President as it is learned from a local newspaper that the Bills have been referred to the President for his consideration.

"We strongly expressed that since he is the only one from the Centre to have visited Churachandpur where 9 dead bodies are still lying unburied and have personally met the people from the district his meeting the President is critical," said the statement.

MTFD leaders with some ADC Members with the President

The team also strongly stressed on the need to respond to the people's aspirations with a sense of urgency as the hill people of Manipur have lost all faith in the State Government.

The scope of discussion with the State Government does not make sense since the Government has amply demonstrated a very discriminatory approach towards the tribal issues in the State on many occasions, said the statement.

Given the kind of experiences and betrayals from the State Government it will finally end without any tangible result.

This is accentuated because of the differential power that exists between the valley districts and hill districts in the mind of the State Government.

For lasting peace, immediate political dialogue with all the stakeholders of the hill districts must be initiated without further delay, added the statement.

MTFD further said that such a dialogue can be fructified only when the Centre directly engage with the tribals of the State as the stand of the tribal is very clear that the Manipur Government has failed to represent the aspirations of the tribals in the State.

Therefore, the State Government does not have any moral rights to take part in deciding the political aspirations of the tribals in the State.

Lastly, the team expressed that they strongly oppose the content as well as the intent and the manner in which these three Bills were passed.

"It is with regret that we have to say that the Government has taken a step that has caused irreparable damage to its relationship with the tribals in the State," said MTFD.

The team again emphasized that the only option is peaceful separation of hills and valley and live together peacefully as neighbours with mutual respect.