Reservation row at MU No end to exploiting tribal people : Tribal bodies
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 13 2016: Taking strong exception to the decision of the Academic Council of Manipur University tofollow the reservation norm of Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in admission) Act, 2006, which stipulates that the reservation quota for ST students should be 7.5 pc, the Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum  ( OMTF ) and Joint Action Committee Against Anti-Tribal Bills (JACAATB) have appealed to all the tribals of the land to continue fighting unitedly for what is rightfully ‘ours’.

In a joint statement, the two bodies said that the three ‘anti-tribal’ Bills of August 31, 2015 has now manifested itself in the form of undermining the rights of the tribal students regarding admissions to Manipur University.

The deliberate violation of the rights of the tribals with the malafide intention of exploiting the tribal people on reservation quantum by sidestepping the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in admission) Act as  amended in 2012 that stipulated a 31 pc reservation quota for the ST students and the deliberate and lopsided interpretation of the ruling of the High Court of Manipur (October 3, 2016) are part and parcel of a bigger design, said the joint statement.

In fact the 31 pc reservation norm fell short of the 34 pc norm had the UGC and the Ministry of Human Resources Development taken the proportion of population into account, added the two organisations.

Moreover the rules for implementation of the Manipur Reservation in Posts and Services (for SCs and STs) Act 1976 have not been made despite several appeals from the tribal communities.

The MU issue, the demand that the Meeteis/Meiteis be included in the ST list and the three ‘anti-tribal’ Bills are not stray incidents but carefully thought out agendum to grab the Constitutional privileges bestowed on the tribal people, alleged the two organisations.

The statement further said that these issues have proved that the gaps between the hills and the valley cannot be reversed and called for a separate administrative set up for the tribal people.

Stating that the OMTF ( a conglomerate of Hmar Inpui, Thadou Inpi, Mizo Peoples’ Convention, United Naga Council and Zomi Council) and the JACAATB are committed to safeguarding the interests of the tribal people, the joint statement appealed to all the tribals to continue fighting for ‘what is rightfully ours" .

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