Manipur News

Imphal Jul 26 UNA : The so called “Interim Body” All Tribal Student’s Union Manipur (ATSUM) joined the chorus objecting the demand for scheduled tribe status which was recently raised by Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur Valley (STDCMV) on Friday.
The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur Valley (STDCMV) has been demanding inclusion of Meiteis in the ST (Scheduled Tribe) list of the Indian Constitution considering the topography of the region which the community is settling.
The demand has received strong criticism and opposition from various tribal bodies like Naga’s apex body, the United Naga Council (UNC) and All India Tribal Students’ Association (AITSA), Manipur. The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) also recently registered their objection to the demand.
Joining the chorus objecting the demand, All Tribal Student’s Union Manipur (ATSUM) today submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India drawing his attention towards few relevant issues before “the demand is even being considered either in the state or central government level.”
In the memorandum ATSUM said “we are bound to ask ourselves if our Meitei brothers are really trying to assert their true identity by demanding ST status.”
If so, why should not be inclusive of all the Meiteis of not just Manipur valley but also those of Assam, Tripura and elsewhere without being grouped into general, OBC, SC or ST,” the ATSUM questioned.
Tribals of Manipur have always aired their displeasure over the government of Manipur for being “valley centric”. The hills have been neglected for the past more than 60 years and the piecemeal development undertaken in the hills were just eyewash and excuses.
The reservation policy followed by the state is also not in sync with the tribal population of the state, the ATSUM alleged in the memorandum, asserting that the population of the tribals of the state has crossed 37% of the total population of the state but the percentage of tribal employees of the state government is not even 21%.
The tribals have been demanding greater autonomy of the existing Autonomous District Councils by extending the sixth scheduled provision of the Constitution to them. This rightful demand is, however, being put in cold storage for years.
The excuse being the extension of the said provision would lead to more demands and finally a full fledged state by the tribals of the state, the ASTUM lamented.
Besides, Manipuri, the official language of Manipur has already being listed in the 8th Scheduled of the Indian Constitution way back in the early 1990s due to immense pressure given by the people of the state.
The Meiteis who used this language as their mother tongue from time immemorial and who were included in the general category were given the opportunity of writing exam conducted by the UPSC in their own language after the recognition of their language.
Not satisfied with their performance in such all India level exams and with greed running over community pride and ego, they again successfully demand the inclusion of the community to Other Backward Classes (OBC) some year back.
“We now suspects that the prime motive for demanding ST status for the Meitei of Manipur valley is to do more with political opportunities than socio-economic and educational benefits for their people and communities,” ATSUM stated in the memorandum.
Before initiating any positive steps on the demand raised by the STDCMV, the views and opinions of all stakeholders need to be sought and studied extensively, the tribal based student body suggested.
The tribals who were feeling insecure and neglected for decades by the majority community of Manipur would be compelled to take extreme steps if their interest and rights are being overtaken by the authority concern, the memorandum jointly signed by its ATSUM president Emboi Serto, general secretary Marahang Ngimai and speaker Adani David Mao warned.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/atsum-joins-chorus-objecting-st-status-to-meiteis/

MNS: BJP, Manipur has written an open letter to the President regarding Food Security Ordinance. M Asnikumar of BJP said in the open letter that as per Food Security Ordinance, the Union Cabinet decided to implement the same in all the Congress ruled States from August 20,2013.
For bettering the relations between the Centre and States, Article 246 of the (7th Schedule) Constitution divides the subjects into Union List (99 subjects), State List (66 subjects) and Concurrent List (47 subjects) and Residual Powers (i.e. Subjects not included in any of the Lists which rest with the Union Government).
The Ordinance as a “Central Subject” was promulgated by the President of India on the advice of the Union Cabinet to implement it all over India.But, the Union Government announced to implement the ordinance only in the Congress Ruled States in violation of the Constitution .A question arises as to why the same ordinance should not be implemented in all the States. The present exercise mean that India is only for Congress ruled states. This ultimately will violate the federal principle of the constitution of this Country.
Clarification by the Cabinet through the President is anticipated.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/bjp-on-food-security/

UKHRUL, July 26 : Participants from the Mapithel Dam affected villages during an environment awareness campaign on Mapithel valley today called for the need of forest and environment protection in the area saying the undergoing Mapithel Dam construction has no environment and forest clearance.
A one-day awareness campaign on Mapitheel valley was held at Thoyee village, Ukhrul district. It was jointly organised by Mapithel Dam Affected Villages Organisation (MDAVO), Committee on Protection of Natural Resources, Manipur (CPNaRM) and Centre for Research and Advocacy (CRA). The programme was held under the theme “Save our Agriculture Land, Protect our Forest and Environment and Let Yangwui Kong (Thoubal River) Flow Free.”
Representatives from Mapithel Dam affected villages like Chadong, Ramrei, Riha and Thoyee took part in the campaign.
All the speakers during the programme emphasized on the need for forest and environment protection, saying there is no environment and forest clearance on Mapithel Dam which is going to give adverse impact on the villagers.
They said 595 ha of forest land area is to be reserved for the project for which the land owners have no any knowledge and at the same time, the catchment area treatment plant has not been revised for which directive was served by the Central Government to Manipur Government.
The Environment Impact Assessment report submitted by Manipur Government to the Central Government in 2007 was closed by the latter for want of detailed information on the environment aspect and environmental action plan, the speakers added.
They said, on the other hand, the state Government has persistently put pressure towards completion of the project that is target to commission in March 2015.
Mapithel Dam affected villages have been demanding for initial forest clearance as well as their proper rehabilitation and resettlement programme.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/mapithel-dam-affected-people-organises-campaign/