To,
Shri Rajnath Singh,
Hon’ble Union Minister Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of India, New Delhi
Subject: Appeal for immediate political settlement with SoO Groups with Government viz, Kuki National Organisation( KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) and the withdrawal of three anti-tribal Bills
Hon’ble Sir,
We, the Joint Action Committee (JAC), Churachandpur, in solidarity with all the hill tribes of Manipur, like to draw your attention on the present hill people’s movement in the wake of protest escalated by the passing of three unconstitutional anti-tribal bills viz. (i) The Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, (ii) The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015. (iii) The Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 in the Manipur State Assembly on 31stAugust 2015. This is for your kind consideration and immediate action.
: The three bills were passed following sustained protests in the Manipur valley districts demanding the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system for the State. It directly infringes the existing constitutional safeguard for the tribal in the ‘hill areas’ of Manipur in relation to land-ownership and the infiltration of non-tribal population in tribal areas. Considering the way in which the Meiteis are eying the lands of the tribal people, the three bills were passed in the Assembly in great haste. The informed tribal students (ATSUM) had called a state-wide bandh against the passing of the bills the day before they were actually passed. In so doing, the Manipur Assembly had gone against the Constitution of India. It by-passed the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), comprising of all MLAs from the Hill areas, set up under Article 371C of Indian Constitution. This provision protects tribal interests and therefore its concurrence to any bill passed in the Assembly is mandatory for all legislation affecting tribal areas and tribal rights.
: As the security of land is central to the psyche of the tribal people the passing of the three bills which had opened up tribal land to non-tribal people immediately sparked off protest across the hills. Churachandpur town, the second city of Manipur, eventually became the epicentre of the movement. As our representatives in the Assembly had not defended us in the Assembly the emotionally charged protesters attacked the houses of the tribal MLAs. Instead of consoling the agitated masses the state government immediately sent its reckless, communal and bloodthirsty security forces called “Commandos” in Manipur to suppress the mass protest. The reckless state security forces freely used the live bullets to disperse the mass. This resulted into the death of nine tribal people and more than 50 of them were seriously injured.
This is not the first time the Manipur Government had used its brute security forces against the hill tribes. Cases of killing tribal protesters at Ukhrul (in 2014), Mao Gate in Senapati District (2010) and at Moreh (2007) are few cases of brutality of state security forces against the tribal. In a clear case of daylight repression brutality of state security forces has become so unbecoming of any democratic government. Your Honour might have seen various reports in the national media and social media networks testifying to the brutality of the state forces in dealing with the situation.
Manipur State Government is for Meiteis, not for tribal: Under a sustained pressured from the Meitei-dominated valley people of Manipur, the passing of the three bills has reflected the real intention of the valley people, and supported by the State Government, not only to expel what they called “Non Manipur People” but more importantly to expel the tribal people from their ancestral homeland and to grab their lands which have been so far protected by the Constitution of India. It also shows a clear case of the present Ibobi Government’s incompetency to govern the state and to maintain peace among several sections of the population.
The dead bodies are waiting for Central Government assurance in writing that anti-tribal bills are withdrawn and political dialogue should begin with KNO-UPF for permanent political solution: Today is the 21st day after the nine tribal “martyrs” have been brutally killed by state security forces. Since that day their bodies are waiting for the Central Government to provide us a satisfactory solution to the demands of the hill people for a separate political settlement for the hill people. They will remain there until this demand is fulfilled. Till you come to this place there was a total absence of the Indian State except in the form of police and armies. The gravity of the situation is such that the disappointed masses are more and more bend to go violent way. Most of the government establishments such as offices, schools, hospitals, banks and so on under threat. It was the women groups who had to keep guarded all these government establishments day in and day out so that they did not fall into the hands of the disappointed masses. Shops, educational institutions, offices, hospitals and various other institutions are in complete shut-down since the incidence had taken place on 31 August. People feel insecure, disappointed and distrust to any state interventions. Violent protest can erupt anytime unless the Central Government give us an assurance in writing that the three anti-tribal bills will be withdrawn and an immediate step should be arranged for a political dialogue with KNO-UPF for a permanent political settlement for our people. Your honour is provided here a brief history of discrimination and marginality of the hill people by the Manipur and dominant Meitei people.
2. HISTORICITY OF THE IMBROGLIO
The hill areas of present Manipur was outside the ambit of Manipur kingdom during pre-colonial period. The hill tribes of Manipur, as also to our close kinsmen in neighbouring states, had been, until the British occupation, lived as independent nations away from the control of all valley kingdoms in the region such as in Manipur, Assam, Burma and Bengal. We have ruled ourselves through a unique tribal authority system. Voluminous amount of colonial records and that of the court chronicles of the valley kingdoms in the region are testimony to such historical fact (please see Annexure-01 for details).
The passage of the three Bills by Manipur Legislative Assembly on the 31st August, 2015 and the reactions that follow on are the culmination of the accumulated endemic, mutual distrust and suspicions of the hill tribes and valley dwellers. The three Bills recently passed are unconstitutional and cannot be enforced in areas under the jurisdiction of Autonomous District Council (ADCs) and some pockets that are amalgamated with Valley District, without the consent of the tribal, in Manipur( please see Annexure-02 for details).
Separation of tribal areas from Manipur State for a separate administrative and political arrangements for the hill tribes under the Constitution of India is the only solution for peace and security in the region. It is under the circumstances narrated above that the hill tribes had finally resolved that the only solution for their future growth and progress as to the safety and security of their lives and property as to their security of their ancestral land and territory as to the preservation of their culture and tradition is to detach themselves from the Meitei dominated Manipur State. The best way to do this is the creation of a separate State for the Kuki groups of tribes and the amalgamation of Naga group of tribes into Nagalim. The hill areas of Manipur consist of 20,089 sq. km. (almost three times the size of Sikkim which has only 7,096 sq km or six times the size of Goa which has 3,702 sq km) and a population of 9,02740 persons (again almost two times the population of Sikkim which has 6,10,577 persons and a little short of Mizoram which has 10,36,115 persons). While the small hill states like Mizoram, Sikkim and Goa are doing quite well in HDI and other developmental indexes there is a very strong hope for the hill tribes of Manipur that if they governed themselves independently from dominant Meiteis they would be in better position to scale into greater height toward progress.
OUR DEMAND
Looking forward for your favourable action, WE, the Joint Action Committee, Churachandpur District, in solidarity with our brothers in Manipur, therefore, demand:
Immediate political settlement with KNO-UPF leaders for separate political administrative arrangements for our people within Indian Constitution
Immediate withdrawal of the three anti-tribal bills
Memorandum submitted to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India by JAC
Memorandum submitted to the Hon’ble Governor of Manipur by JAC
The nine death bodies will wait its honourable funeral until the Central Government gives its assurance in writing that the above three demands will be fulfilled in time bound manner. Your honour may kindly consider our appeal as a call of do or die situation.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours sincerely,
(H. MANGCHINKHUP)
Chief Co-ordinator
(LALKHOHAO CHONGLOI)
Co-ordinator Secy. (Admin)
Source:Phualvatimes
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