IMPHAL, Jan 12 NNN: The High Court Bar Association, Manipur (HCBAM) has suspended its months- long strike on Saturday following an appeal from the CM.
\nThe decision to suspend the strike was taken during an emergency meeting of the executive committee of HCBAM in view of the favourable development and timely intervention of Chief Minister O Ibobi as well as the Union Law minister, advocate and executive member, HCBAM, Khaidem Mani informed the media.
\nHe said the meeting held yesterday at the office of the Bar under the chairmanship of N Kumarjit, president, HCBAM resolved to suspend the ongoing strike by the association with immediate effect.
\nA three-member team led by HCBAM president Kumarjit will leave Imphal for New Delhi tomorrow for a joint meeting with the Union Law minister on January 14 as informed by the Chief Minister to the association, Mani said.
\nTwo major demands of HCBAM are that no Judge from the common Gauhati High Court be absorbed in the High Court of Manipur except two elevated from the state and let the High Court of Manipur be installed to be a High Court consisting of seven Judges for rendering effective administration of justice.
\nMeanwhile the Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) has ridiculed the strike launched by the High Court Bar Association, Manipur (HCBAM) and said the latter\u2019s agitation too amounts to the violation of the citizens\u2019 rights.
\nDriving home its point, the ZYF pointed out that the High Court had passed \u2018wanted tag\u2019 to the then presidents of the United Naga Council (UNC) and the All Naga Students\u2019 Association, Manipur (ANSAM) for calling a general strike.
\nThe ZYF then said since November 8, 2012 till date, the HCBAM\u2019s strike has been called for more than two months now, which can never be justified under any circumstance.
\n\u201cIs the HCBAM in a position to extend the superannuation year or retirement age for government employees whose case pertaining to promotion or any service matters or any other important matters are pending disposal at the high court? Who will compensate to those persons for their extra punishment or loss of precious time which is without their slight faults?,\u201d the Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) asked.
\nReiterating its point, the ZYF recalled that the same high court had in one instance passed \u2018wanted tag\u2019 with a fixing cash reward of Rs. 1 lakh on the heads of the president of the United Naga Council (UNC) and the president of All Naga Students Association Manipur (ANSAM) for launching agitation on the ground that the agitation had violated the rights of other people. \u201cNow, the agitation of the HCBAM abstaining from duties has kept the high court on not functioning and fails to serve the very purpose of establishing a court whose objective is to deliver justice to the citizens, as such the agitation has violated the rights of the people. Judiciary which is one of the most vital organs of the democratic State has been disrupted by the HCBAM\u2019s agitation,\u201d the ZYF said.
\nAccording to the Zeliangrong organisation, keeping the court not functioning for such a long period is not at all in the interest of justice and not in the interest of the people of the State. \u201cTherefore, the HCBAM is appealed to explore other options which may not affect the rights of the citizens while pursuing their demand and resume attending the court by not contradicting the judgement passed earlier if their demand is to be pursued,\u201d the ZYF appeals.<\/p>\n\n