Dialogue deliberates on key issues
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 11 2015 : The All Tribal Students' Union Mani-pur (ATSUM) organised a one day open dialogue today at Tribal Research Institute, Chingmeirong to discuss some major issues of the State.

Former ATSUM general secretary and advisor Apao Haokip, ATSUM advisor Dailord and former president ANSAM and ATSUM spea-ker Adani David Choro atten- ded dialogue session as moderators.

Delivering the keynote address of the session, ATSUM president Emboi Serto said most of the groups/communities in the State, while fighting for their rights and privileges, have neglected their duty towards other communities.

Pointing out the vast gap in development between hill and valley areas, Emboi Serto said the hill areas deserve more than its share of development cut out by men in power.

Almost all of the Government schemes taken up for support of the sick and the poor, Serto claimed, are diverted for development of the already developed areas.

He blamed the unwillingness shown by most Govern- ment employees to be posted at hill areas on lack of proper infrastructure in hill districts.

Dr Gaikhamsin Riamei of Human Rights Centre, Mani-pur University presented a paper titled 'Tribal rights in relation to HAC, ADC and Sixth Schedule in Manipur' at the dialogue session today.

The paper dwelt in detail upon the negligence and failure of the State and Centre in enforcing special safeguards for hill areas.

Dr Riamei endorsed the demand of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) and the Autonomous District Councils (ADC) for extension of the provisions of Sixth Sche-dule to the five ADCs of the State.

The demand, he added, is genuine and in conformity to the Constitution of India.

Echoing Riamei's statement, former MP and MLA B D Behring, said Chief Minister Okram Ibobi, since he assumed office in 2002 has done nothing for the implementation of the Sixth Schedule in hill areas.

The extension of Schedule, he added, would have no impact in the territorial integrity of the State as it is purely for sake of development.

He further talked on the disparity in development and misuse/diversions of funds.

Considering the geographical vastness of the hill areas as compared to the valley (80 percent against 20 percent), about 33 percent of the annual Budget, he asserted, should be earmarked for the development of tribal areas.

He further called for a delimitation exercise of the existing 60 Assembly Constituencies as advised by the Delimitation Commission based on 2001 census.

Once the delimitation exercise is carried out, the 20 Assembly segments of the hill districts would increase by 5 seats while the 40 Assembly segments of the valley districts would be reduced to 35 .

This, according to the former MP, would facilitate equitable development in the State.

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