Dr Khomdon Lisam
From previous issue
The Act was passed by Indian Parliament vide bill no. 95-F of 1959 Act, no, 33 of 1960 to make a special provision for protection of Scheduled Tribes under section no. 180. This creates a sense of discrimination against non-tribal leading to disunity, distrust among the ethnic groups in Manipur. This Act encouraged the violent minority to violate the human rights of the sleeping majority. This Act also violates the Article 19(e) of Indian Constitution.
2.5. The small land area in the valley and Moreh is always open to sale to outsiders threatening the very existence of the Manipuri people. With the arrival of Railways and Look East Policy, the future of Meiteis and hill people of Manipur are in jeopardy.
By virtue of this Article 371 C, the hill people think that they can heap all the blames of their wrong doings on Meiteis although they are not inferior to Meiteis. They want to give the impression to the world that the land belonged to their ancestors although the land belonged to the kings during monarchy and to the State government after monarchy. According to Supreme Court and Indian Constitution, the land belongs to the State. The earth is more than 1 billion years old and every community inherited their land from their ancestors.
3. Lifting of Armed Forces Special Power Act-1958 from Manipur to protect the Human Rights of the people of Manipur and to prevent unnecessary deaths of young people of Manipur. Manipur has nothing to do with repeal of the Act.
4. The VII Schedule and Article 246 of Indian Constitution pertaining to the Union List and Concurrent List may be amended with insertion of a separate clause for Manipur. The cause should specifically mention that any matter relating to Manipur shall be taken up by the Government of India only with the prior recommendation of the Manipur State Legislative Assembly.
5. Need for declaring the whole of Manipur State as a Hill State – The Government of India is dividing Manipur into Hill and valley although 90% of Manipur is Hill and hardly 10% is valley. There many hillocks in the valley and there are many valley areas in the Hills. The policy of Government of India for dividing Manipur into Hill and Valley and for dividing the same people with common ancestors into Trial and General led to ethnic conflict, Hill-Valley divide, communal is harmony. Hence, the whole state of Manipur may be declared as a Hill State.
6. Need for extension of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation -1973 (Inner Line Permit System) with appropriate amendments to regulate the entry of outsiders from other states of India to Manipur on payment of Entry fees and Landing fees to protect the identity, culture, traditions, land, language, script, mineral resources of the Manipuris and to prevent population imbalance and extinction of Manipuri as happened in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
7. Need for restoration of Schedule Tribe Status of Meiteis. The Meiteis, which constitute 53% of total population of Manipur has no constitutional protection under the Constitution of India whereas there are more than 20 articles under the Indian Constitution for protection of Schedule Tribes. Hence the provisions of the Article 371 C of Indian Constitution need immediate amendments. The Scheduled Tribe status of Meiteis, which was recorded in Government of India Election /Census documents in 1931 should be restored under Article 342 of the Indian Constitution to restore equality, to bring equality, unity, solidarity and peace among the various tribes of Manipur.
8. A single and uniform Land Laws for all the ethnic groups in Manipur may be provided under the Indian Constitution and by amendment of the Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act-1960. The land belongs to the king during monarchy and after merger to India to the State Government. No person from other states of India will be allowed to purchase lands only with the approval of the State Government to protect the indigenous people of Manipur.
9. Need to increase of the strength of the Manipur Legislative Assembly from 60 to 80.
The present strength of 60 members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly granted in 1972 can not fulfil the aspirations of various ethnic groups particularly the Meiteis, Nagas, Kukis, Meitei Pangans and smaller tribal groups. The Manipur Legislative Assembly needs delimitation considering the increase in population and aspirations of the various ethnic groups and political parties. Hence the Government of India may consider grant of at least 80 MLAs for the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
10. Need for establishment of an Upper house (Legislative Council or Vidhan Parishad) for Manipur.
Manipur requires an Upper house (Legislative Council or Vidhan Parishad), which must be a permanent body. This body cannot be dissolved and serves for a six-year term. The following seven states have Vidhan Parisads in India-Uttar Pradesh (size-403 + 100), Maharashtra (size-288 + 78), Bihar (243 + 75), Karnataka (224 + 75), Andhra Pradesh (175 + 50), Telangana (119 + 40), Jammu and Kashmir (87 + 36), The Union Cabinet of India has cleared the State of Assam to form a Legislative Council on 28 November 2013. The Constitution of India may provide for establishment of an Upper House (State Legislative Council) with a minimum of 50 members with provision for 10 nominated members and nomination and 30% reservation for women.
11. Manipur’s Representation in Lok Sabha
The number of Lok Sabha MPs for Manipur is not viable. The number of Lok Sabha seats for Manipur is only two whereas for UP, it is 80, Bihar-40, Maharastra-48, West Bengal-42, Tamil Nadu-39, Madhya Pradesh-29, Karnataka-28, Assam-14. We find that for a small population hardly two lakhs of Anglo-Indians, Pandit Nehru had put the number of Lok Sabha MPs as two. Considering the Indian Constitution, no Manipuri can become the Prime Minster of India in the next 500 years. No Manipuri MP can initiate amendment of Indian Constitution effectively. The number of Lok Sabha MPs for Manipur should be a least six. Even if it is done, no Manipuri can become the Prime Minister of India or President even if he is Lord Krishna or Jesus Christ or prophet Muhammad in the next 500 years..
12. Manipur’s Representation in Rajya Sabha ( Council of States )
The Rajya Sabha is the Council of States where States are represented. Each state whether large or small should have equal representatives in the Rajya Sabha. There is no balanced representation of states in the Rajya Sabha. Manipur has only one Rajya Sabha MP whereas Uttar Pradesh has 31, Maharastra-19, Tamil Nadu-18, West Bengal -16, Bihar16. Manipur has only one Rajya Sabha MP whereas Uttar Pradesh has 31, Maharastra-19, Tamil Nadu-18, West Bengal -16, Bihar 16. There should be balanced and equal representation of States-big or small as done in many democratic countries of the world including USA. The number of Rajya Sabha MPs for Manipur should be eight.
The procedure for constitutional amendment is very lengthy and complicated. Further, the other bigger states with a large number of MPs may not be quite conversant with the problems and issues of the state for whom the bill is introduced in the Parliament. Hence the risk of failure to convert the bill into an Act is very great. The other option is to demand for Restoration of Pre-Merger Political Status of Manipur. (To be contd)
Source: The Sangai Express
