IMPHAL, May 13: The Naga Political Leaders` Forum Manipur (NPLFM) while condemning the passing of ‘three anti-tribals bills’ by the Manipur Assembly has today extended full support to the 48-hour shut down in tribals areas which begins from midnight of May 16. It further favoured an open discussion on the issue with the participation of people from both the hills and valley in order to arrive at an understanding and resolving the ongoing standoff.
The forum made the decisions during an emergency general body meeting held today at Tarung Community Hall.
The meeting discussed the present political situation and the decision of the all political parties meeting to send a delegation to New Delhi in order to lobby for convincing Central leaders to give assent to the three bills.
Former MLAs BD Behring, Soso Lorho and Jangamlung Panmei participated in the dialogue as the presidium members.
The meeting adopted resolutions supporting the 48-hour bandh called by the JAC against Three Anti-tribal Bills from May 16 midnight till midnight of May 18, 2016 and appealed tribal people to extend cooperation.
Speaking on the occasion, BD Behring said The Protection of Manipur People (PMP) Bill, 2015 was passed without proper documents. The National Registration of Citizens, 1951, Census Report 1951 and the village Directory 1951 for defection of migrants a for determining indigenous people are found to be invalid documents for the purpose (according to Assistant Director of Ministry of Home Affairs, Directorate of Census Operations, Manipur). The bill was passed without necessary documents and therefore is opposed and it deserved to be rejected, he said.
Behring said that the three Bills – PMP, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill 2015 and the Manipur Shops and Establishment (Second Amendment) Bill 2015) should be opposed as the Hill Areas Committee which has a statutory power and function to be consulted under section 4(1) and (2) of Article 371C of Indian Constitution and paras 3 and 10 of its, second Schedule was kept in the dark.
The paras are particularly applicable to Bill No. 17 which deals with matters of land and inheritance of property. Land is property of inheritance in tribal society of Manipur. Moreover, the bills which will be implemented, if they became Acts, in all parts of hill areas will “wholly” (see Section 4(2)) affect the area. Therefore, the State Cabinet statement stating that the three Bills “passed by the State Legislative Assembly will not affect the interests of the Hill Areas of Manipur as already having protection under Article 371C of the Constitution of India” speaks of its ignorance, he said.
The NPLFM further demanded withdrawal of the ‘three anti-tribal bills’ and allow respectable burial for nine persons who died during the stir against the passing of the bills and whose bodies are still kept at Churachandpur District Civil Hospital.
Naga political leaders, MLAs, ex-MLAs, ex-MPs, MDCs, ex-MDCs and civil organisation leaders, member of Naga Hohos and intellectuals from the community attended the meeting.