Saturday, February 25, 2017

Zomi Revolutionary Organisation ‘Officially’ Demands Separate ‘Hill State’ Within Manipur



Demands an autonomous hill state by extending the provision of Article 244 A
The Zomi Revolutionary Organisation has “officially” demanded a separate “hill state” within the territory of Manipur.
The demand was raised by the outfit during a recently held political dialogue with the Central representatives in New Delhi, a media report said in Imphal today.
The outfit  had signed Suspension of Operation (SoO) with both the Central and Manipur governments in August 2008.
The Manipur government then set up five designated camps in Churachandpur, Chandel and Senapati districts to lodge the cadres of the ceasefire militant groups.
According to the media report, the charter of demands of ZRO was submitted through a document to the Government of India through Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, who chaired the tripartite talks held in the national capital on June 17.
ZRO demanded creation of a separate “hill state” within the current existing territory of the state of Manipur. It demanded an autonomous hill state by extending the provision of Article 244 A of the Constitution, the media report said.
The report said that ZRO also demanded rehabilitation of the outfit’s cadres by establishing a separate Army Regiment that shall be deployed for local and national defence only.
The group further demanded the Centre to provide a handsome relief package, ex-gratia for next of kin of all deceased cadres and withdrawal of all cases pending against the group and its members.