IMPHAL, Jan 18: The All India Tribal Student Association, (AITSA) Delhi has cautioned voters in the hill areas of the state to cast their votes for candidates on the basis of their intellect, personal integrity and social commitment if they want development and peaceful co-existence among different communities in the hill areas.
Before blaming the valley-dominated state government for suppressing the hill people, we must stop casting our votes on the basis of tribes, clans and money power. We need leaders with wisdom, integrity and confidence who can withstand any anti-tribal policy and convince the government and not those leaders who would compromise the cause of the tribal in exchange for reward of a ministerial berth whereby, fuelling misunderstanding between the people of hill and valley, it said in a statement. Lack of knowledge, integrity and enthusiasm amongst most tribal MLAs added to their selfish ambitions is primarily responsible for the pitiable condition of the hill people, it added.
Lack of awareness of the tribal MLAs on the consequence of the recently implemented 200 point roaster system of reservation in recruitment, the functions of Hill Areas Committee (HAC), State Tribal Policy (STP), utilization of state funds and other government policies often create disharmony among the people. Let this assembly election bring an end to the era of ignorance and the feelings of isolation among tribal MLAs so that tribal issues can be tabled and resolved in a democratic process as in was the 1960s, it added.