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Tribal forum demands PR in Manipur

By The Assam Tribune

NEW DELHI, June 10 - Tribal organisations in Manipur while demanding the imposition of President�s Rule in Manipur have denounced all the tribal MLAs and the lone tribal MP in Lok Sabha for their �silence on such a crucial issue of passing of the three anti-tribal Bills on August 31, 2015�.

In a memorandum to President which was made available to newsmen, the Outer Manipur Tribals� Forum (OMTF) said that the 20-odd tribal MLAs and the lone tribal MP from Outer Manipur, �in spite of the unrelenting� protests and agitations by the tribal people they represent, �have chosen to remain silent on such a crucial issue in passing the three anti-tribal bills�.

�We, therefore, denounced them as our representatives since they have failed to truly represent the tribal people of Manipur�, the memorandum said. The OMTF urged the President to initiate the process of impeachment of the 20-odd tribal MLAs and the tribal MP �as we no longer accept them as our representatives,� the memorandum added. OMTF is an apex body of Hmar Inpui, Mizo People Convention, Thadou Inpi, United Naga Council and Zomi Council.

It said, with the situation in Manipur deteriorating by the day, the only viable solution now is for the Union Government to interfere directly into the issue by imposing President�s Rule in the State and work towards a solution that is sustainable and acceptable to the tribal people of the State�.

The memorandum said that the �All Political Party� delegation led by Manipur Chief Minister is in New Delhi to pressurise the Union Government to give President�s assent to the three anti-tribal Bills. This is in spite of the Chief Minister himself having admitted that the three Bills are the agenda of CorCom, an umbrella of various Meitei militant groups.

�These actions of the Manipur Government, its machineries and other non-State agencies clearly expose the deep-rooted nexus between the outlawed Meitei militant groups, the Manipur Government and the Meitei civil organisations like the JCILPS,� it alleged.

The memorandum said that with the tribals of Manipur agitating for more than nine months now, refusing to bury the nine �tribal martyrs� who still await justice, and with no acceptable and sustainable solution in sight, and the �dominant Meitei community� pressing for the President�s assent on the three anti-tribal Bills, the hill-valley divide is becoming more pronounced by the day and is now way beyond repairs. � Newmai News

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