GUWAHATI, Aug 11 - The abrogation of Article 370 has given the jitters to the indigenous peoples organisations of the North East. A massive gathering in Tripura has resolved to convene a conference of experts and representatives of indigenous peoples of the region to discuss issues like the implications of the abrogation of Article 370 and subsequent withdrawal of the special status from Jammu and Kashmir and the special constitutional status on the North East Indian States.
The conference is proposed to be held on September 7 in Itanagar and will be hosted by the Arunachal Pradesh chapter of the North East Indigenous People�s Forum (NEIPF), in collaboration with the NEFA Indigenous Human Rights Organisation.
The Indian Constitution has accorded some special standing to six northeastern States under Article 371. While Article 371A is meant for Nagaland, 371B is meant for Assam, 371C is meant for Manipur, 371G is meant for Mizoram, 371H is meant for Arunachal Pradesh and 371F is meant for Sikkim.
Disclosing this, NEIPF chief convenor Anup Chetia told this newspaper that the participants of the Tripura rally held on the occasion of the World Indigenous People�s Day on Friday, urged the Union government to fulfil its constitutional obligation under Article 29 of the Constitution in letter and spirit.
It may be mentioned here that Article 29 protects the interests of the minorities by making a provision that any citizen or section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture has the right to conserve the same. It also mandates that no discrimination would be done on the ground of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.
The rally, jointly organised by the NEIPF and the Tripura People�s Front, resolved to extend unconditional solidarity to the indigenous peoples of Tripura in their struggle for conserving their languages and cultures in the face of drastic demographic shift due to immigration from across the border.
