IMPHAL, Aug 7 : Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam today said that the State Government has almost completed drafting the new Bill for the protection of indigenous people of the State and is preparing to upload the new draft Bill on social networking sites like Facebook so as to elicit comments and opinions from all sections of the society.
He was speaking at the 12th foundation day celebration of Kabui Mother’s Association (KAMA) which was held at GM Hall today.
Social, procedural (legal) and Constitutional factors are being examined while drafting the Bill, the Deputy CM said while appealing to all the people to avoid controversies which surrounded the Bill last time. He said CSOs of all the communities will be asked to express their opinions before the new Bill is finalised.
The former Bills that were passed in the Assembly last year were withheld by the President of India. Despite this, the bodies of the nine people who were killed during protests in Churachandpur district against the three ILP Bills passed by the Manipur Assembly on August 31 have not been buried till date. The State Government is ready to provide ex-gratia and Government jobs as compensation to the next of kin of the nine deceased but, the victims’ side are not ready to negotiate, Gaikhangam said adding that the they have rejected the Government’s appeal to bury the bodies.
The Deputy CM expressed disappointment that the JAC Against the Anti-Tribal Bills is continuing their protest even after the rejection of the three Bills.
“The Bill has been drafted for the protection of both the hills and the valley people. The Bill does not target a particular community. Its main purpose is to safeguard the identities of all the indigenous communities”, Gaikhangam said.
“The State is going through a very difficult time. We must pull ourselves together and reinstate the unity between the hills and the valley”, he said adding that certain people are trying to sever the bond between the Hills and the valley people with fabricated history and theories.
Instead of complaining that the State Government has done nothing for the development of the hill areas, the people should ask the Government to take up more development works. Numerous developmental works have been taken up and are being taken up in the hill districts, said the Deputy CM. “People should give up the culture of unleashing violence in Tamenglong after a proposal is made in Ukhrul and a decision is taken in Senapati”, the Deputy Chief Minister stated.
MLA Janghemlung Panmei, KAMA president Kakomlunglu Kamei, founder advisor R Lanbon Kabui and Manipur State Commission for Women chairperson Dr K Subita also attended the celebration.
