Tribal Students, Organisations Line Up Series Of Agitation
With Govt sleeping over demands, ATSUM in stir mode
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, March 20 2013: A series of agitation has been lined up in Manipur in the next few days including that of the All Tribal Sudents Union, Manipur (ATSUM) .

On Wednesday, ATSUM general secretary Vareiyo Shatshang informed Newmai News Network that the tribal students' body will take up stern and intense form of agitation in the next few days as the State Government of Manipur has failed to fulfil its commitment to implement the demands of the ATSUM.

"We will convene a meeting and announce our course and mode of agitation on March 23 (Saturday)," said the ATSUM general secretary.

On November 27 last year, ATSUM had apprised the Government of Manipur to address issues pertaining to tribal people of Manipur and the hill districts.

The tribal students' body in its lengthy memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister of Manipur had demanded Manipur State Commission for the Scheduled Tribes.

ATSUM also demanded for the setting up of B.Ed centres in the hill districts.

It also demanded that adequate teaching and non-teaching staff in the education institutions in the hill districts with better infrastructure.

Signed by its president Maun Tombing and its general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang, ATSUM in its memorandum said, "It has been our long standing aspiration to find a State Commission of the Scheduled Tribes in Manipur under the Article 338A of the Indian Constitution which would usher in all round Development and progress in respect of thee Tribal people in this eastern most part of the Indian Union.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes which came in to force on 19th February, 2004 has failed to provide adequate service to the state of Manipur a it is based on the distant centre in Shillong" .

According to the ATSUM memorandum, the state of Karnataka in 2002 had established the State Commission for SC/ST under the name and style 'The Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Tribes Act, 2002'.It said the tribal population is the second largest in the state of Manipur but the pace of development is rather too slow till today comparing to that of the non-tribal populace.

There has been the Manipur state Commission for OBC which meant to safeguard the rights of the other backward classes, the ATSUM representation added.

In the light of the above facts and circumstances, it is our earnest plea that the Manipur State Commission for the ST be set up in the earnest date, the tribal students' body stated.

ATSUM then demanded for the setting up of B.Ed centres in hill districts of Manipur.

"Even the HSLC examination centres are very often treated as temporary arrangement subject to omission and commission.

It is demanded that B.Ed centres be set up in all the five hill districts where TET can be conducted," the tribal students' body demanded.

The memorandum of ATSUM also mentioned that the crisis in the newly set up Indra Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) Regional Compus in Manipur is put to a situation of breaking down totally because all the required infrastructures and issues have not been properly attended to by the authorities concerned.

"There is no end to the students' agitations against many lapses in the University.

Xerox copy of the MoU signed between students and the vice chancellor is enclosed herewith for kind perusal.

It is our earnest plea for your urgent intervention before things turn from bad to worse," ATSUM note cautions.

One point of the ATSUM memorandum said, "We demand adequate number of both teaching and non-teaching staff in the educational institutions in the hill areas of Manipur state.

We also demand that proper infrastructures for the educational institutions in the five hill districts be provided promptly as to facilitate smooth functioning of the academic sessions" .

"The recruitment of junior Manipur Civil Service (MCS) rule latest amendment published in Manipur Gazette Extra Ordinary Dt.

06/03/2012 U/S 2(2) & (3) clearly states that there shall be 2 grades i.e.(I).

Junior MCS, Junior Grade (II) Senior MCS, Senior Grade.

The clauses 3 states that the post of Junior MCS, senior Grade shall be class I Gazetted while the post of Junior MCS, Junior Grade be Class II Gazetted.

We demand that justice be delivered at the time of conducting DPC in respect of SC & ST requiring promotion in accordance with the Manipur Reservation of vacancies in posts and Services (for ST&SC) Rules, 2011 published on 17/05/2011," another part of the tribal students' body memo pointed out.

The memo also touched on the tribal rights and the issue of the natural resources and said, "Protection of the rights of the indigenous tribal people over the land, forest and management of natural resources in the hill areas of Manipur should be taken care of by the Government as to dispense of justice guaranteed by the law of the land.

It has been our firm stand to safeguard such rights and against unjust tapping of natural resources without prior information and consent of the indigenous land owners.

Any arbitrary extraction of natural, mineral resources and acquisition of lands cannot be tolerated any more longer.

The ATSUM shall be compelled to mobilize for all kinds of action programmes and agitation through the democratic means, should the Government stay in deferent to the genuine demand" .

"It is aggrieved to note that the state of Manipur had gone a head with the imposed village Authorities election, 2012 arbitrarily.

The boycott call by all sections of the hill people represented by many civil societies and other voluntary organization, was not respected by government of Manipur.

Mixed response was received in return when many villages boycott the said election.

The right of the indigenous people and traditional systems are aversely affected by the state policy to disrobe the title of village Chief/Headman as Ex-Officio Chairman by the arbitrary amendment of section 3(4) of the Manipur Hill village Authorities Act 1956.It is demanded that the state Government display leniency by reviewing the steps taken against the tribal people's interests.

In the light of the above fact and circumstances, we appeal to your dynamic leadership to extend genuine concern and rational consideration for dispense of justice once and for all," the tribal students' body of Manipur demanded.

Comment