IMPHAL, Oct 8 (Newmai News Network): The Committee on Protection of Tribal Area Manipur (COPTAM) those tribal candidates in the Panchayati Raj election whether elected or defeated should resign from their respective posts within the month of October and surrender to the COPTAM or any appropriate authority.
In its meeting, COPTAM has resolved and demanded that the state government should totally cancel and withdraw all the Panchayati Raj election process from any part of the hill districts of Manipur at the earliest.
Another resolution has been that all the concerned chiefs/chairmen/headmen of tribal villages, concerned MDCs/ MLAs and Hill Area Committee (HAC) should take the responsibility to ensure that no tribal voters and villages in the hill districts are included in the Panchayat/Zilla Parishad elections and valley assembly and Parliament constituencies in future.
“Any tribal from the hill districts participating or involving in the recent Panchayati Raj elections, 2012 shall be socially boycotted, bar from receiving any benifit from hills districts administrations and ADCs and should not hold any post in any tribal societies/organisation/authorities for going against the interest of tribals in Manipur until an amicable solution is reached with the COPTAM,” states one resolution.
The fift one says that any tribal living in the hill districts who prefers to remain under Panchayati Raj shall better leave their hearths and homes in the hills histricts and find a place for settlement in the valley districts.
“Any one who does not respect these COPTAM resolutions shall be taken as anti-tribal and appropriate actions shall be initiated against them. Any one failing to comply with the terms and conditions of this declaration shall bear responsibilities by themselves and for which COPTAM cannot be blamed afterwards,” it warns.
The COPTAM shall go ahead with its agitations for complete withdrawal of Panchayati Raj from the hill districts o Manipur, it added.