IMPHAL, May 10: In protest against the alleged indifferent attitude of the Manipur Government and its alleged brash and contemptuous conduct towards the tribal people, the JAC Against Anti-Tribal Bills has called a 48-hr total shutdown in all tribal territories of the State starting from midnight of May 16 till midnight of May 18.
The JAC, in its joint meeting with various tribal apex bodies/tribe councils today at KKL Complex, Lamka deliberated on the above resolution taken at the all political parties meeting held yesterday, and condemned the decision as well as all the political parties involved for their insensitive attitude towards the plight of the indigenous tribal inhabitants of the place.
The all political parties meeting resolved to depute a team of politicians to urge the Union Government to give assent to the three Bills passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 31 last year.
To the tribals, the three ‘anti-tribal’ Bills are very much political in nature; the politics of identity, the politics of land and the politics of survival for the tribal people of Manipur, said the JAC in a statement.
These Bills and the various initiatives taken by the JCILPS has painted the communal mindset of the dominant valley-dwelling community of Manipur, alleged the JAC.
However, the JAC shall, with unflinching support of the public, continue to do all it can to ensure that tribal identity, tribal land and tribal rights are safeguarded and ensured due protection.
The JAC has learned that certain individuals and groups with vested interests from Manipur Valley have been trying to mislead the public by spreading false claims that the three Bills passed by the Assembly on August 31, 2015 will not go against the interest of the tribal people of the State, viz.. the Protection of Manipur Peoples Bill, 2015; the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015; and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015.
The JAC would like to suggest those individuals and groups to kindly refer to the JAC’s four-page Charter of Demands and six-page Critique of the Bills submitted to the State Government on November 9, 2015 and January 11, 2016 respectively, it added.
The JAC reminded that the three ‘anti-tribal Bills’ have resulted in the death of nine tribal youths and their mortal remains are still awaiting honourable burial.
It urged all right-thinking tribal individuals and groups to stand firm and continue “our united fight for our survival and our way of life”.
