IMPHAL, May 19: The Joint Action Committee against Anti-Tribal Bills (JAC) has conveyed its heartfelt gratitude to the tribal people of Manipur including the people of Tamenglong, Senapati, Sadar Hills, Ukhrul, Chandel, Singngat, Jiribam, Lamka and JAC units at various sub-divisional headquarters for their support and cooperation in the 48-hours Total Shutdown of all Tribal Territories called by the JAC from the midnight of May 16 to the midnight of May 18, 2016.
A statement issued by the JAC, held that the communal attitude, discriminatory policies and prejudiced mind set of the Manipur Government becomes more evident with each passing day.
A brief two-month agitation in the Valley resulted in a Special Session of the Manipur State Assembly passing the three anti-tribal bills on August 31, 2015, and a three-day agitation in the Valley for pressurising the Union Government to give President’s assent led to an ‘All Political Party Meeting’ that resolved to send a delegation to voice the concern of the Valley people, it asserted.
However, the Manipur Government has still chosen to turn a blind eye to the 261-day old Tribal Movement in the Hills/Tribal Territories till date; in fact, the Manipur Government still refuses to call a Special Session of the Manipur State Assembly to deliberate on the JAC’s charter of demands in spite of the request made by the JAC, it lamented.
The fact that the ethnic and ‘communal’ Manipur Government continues to undermine the cries of the tribal people till today only points to the deep divide between the Hills/Tribal Territories and the Valley, contended the JAC.
It reiterated that the three anti-tribal bills are very much political in nature and have nothing to do with the Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) before brandingThe Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2016 amounts as ‘Identity politics’, The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2016 as ‘Politics of land’, The Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016 as ‘Politics of economy and livelihood’.
As such, a political solution is the only acceptable and sustainable solution for the tribal people, it opined.
It further requested to all media houses to refrain from misleading the public by wrongly projecting and publicizing these three anti-tribal bills as ILP bills and creating unnecessary confusion in the minds of the general public.