By Nehginpao Kipgen It has been 150 days since the killing of 9 civilians, including an eleven-year-old boy in Churachandpur, Manipur, Northeast India. The tribal or hill people, under the aegis of Joint Action Committee (JAC), continue to demand for j…
By Nehginpao Kipgen It has been 150 days since the killing of 9 civilians, including an eleven-year-old boy in Churachandpur, Manipur, Northeast India. The tribal or hill people, under the aegis of Joint Action Committee (JAC), continue to demand for justice while the dead bodies lie in the district hospital morgue. The deaths were a
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2016/02/politics-of-3-bills-and-9-unburied-bodies-in-manipur/
By Hejang Misao Take away respect and humanity lose its very sanity. No one wants to live sans respect and none wants to die without honour. The present fallout in
By Hejang Misao
Take away respect and humanity lose its very sanity. No one wants to live sans respect and none wants to die without honour. The present fallout in Manipur is the direct result of disrespect to the tribals’ rights that resulted in high decibel act of protests and agitation.
Nine people have sacrificed their lives for an ideal cause – they died so that thousands may live in peace. The fact is that it does not come as a surprise. It has long been anticipated. It is in fact the eruption of the long accumulated unhappiness of the tribal communities towards the one-sided and biased government of Manipur.
Here are some of the facts that eventually led to the unfolding of the present situation:
What triggered the present movement?
The Protection of Manipur People’s Bill, 2015 is in the reductive definition of the ‘Manipur People’ with the base year 1951. In fact in 1951 there was only a single deputy commissioner located in Imphal. Most of the government institutions were operational from Imphal untill 1965. Even he district headquarters in the hills were not linked with motorable roads and the remote villages of the hill districts were ignorant of the procedures of registration in those times.
There was no house to house census nor was it possible due to the remoteness of villages in those times. The district authorities had never insisted on mandatory village directory before the introduction of the hill house tax in 1966 under the Manipur hill areas (house tax) act. The bill is in contravention to article 5 of the Indian constitution where definition of Indian citizenship is clearly defined. Hence this is an unconstitutional bill which has the potential of reducing bonafide citizens to ‘non-Manipuri’ status.
On the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reform (7th Amendment) Bill, 2015, if the state government has good intention and commitment towards protection of tribal rights, it could have clearly stated in the bill that it will not be applicable in the hill areas/five hill districts of the state. The government instead of making a law to enforce article 45 of the Indian constitution has been trying to extend the MLR & LR Act in the hill areas comprising 20,089 square kilometres. The original text of the MLR & LR Act section 1(2) is extended to the whole of Manipur except the hill areas.
However in 1989 without the consent of the hill area committee, the government of Manipur introduced a bill to remove “except the hill areas” in order to enable the act to apply in the hill areas as well on the pretext of money bill. The then governor had refused giving his assent to the modification by exercising his authority under Article 371 (2) of the Indian constitution and consequently the bill was withdrawn in 1990. Despite these safeguards, the government of Manipur has misused section 1(2) and 1(3) of the MLR & LR Act 1960 and its rules to illegally extend the same to the hill areas.
As a result, Moreh despite being a hill area under Chandel district is now mostly owned by the non-tribals. Taking into account such history of shadowy extension of MLR & LR Act, the present amendment which says that state government after obtaining prior approval of the ‘state cabinet’ can approve transfer of land to non-local will automatically apply to the hill areas too. This poses a threat to the tribal rights for which they cannot remain silent spectators.
The Joint Action Committee’s demand for ‘separate administration for the hill areas’ openly exposes the division between the hills and the valley people. The ongoing problem in Manipur is political in nature and a solution should be brought about politically by the central government.
The writer is a social activist working with DKA-Austrian project (the development cooperation agency of Katholische Jungschar – the Catholic Children’s Movement of Austria), coordinating Northeast India. He is also the founder of an organization called InSIDE-northeast. He can be reached at hejangmisao@rediffmail.com.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/09/understanding-the-root-of-hill-valley-divide-in-manipur/
URGENT PRESS STATEMENT Imphal, 11 September 2015 On the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the Armed Forces [Special Powers] Act of 1958 (AFSPA) that promulgated the controversial and
URGENT PRESS STATEMENT
Imphal, 11 September 2015
On the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the Armed Forces [Special Powers] Act of 1958 (AFSPA) that promulgated the controversial and draconian Act in Manipur and Nagaland, the CSCHR once again condemns the perpetuation of this law that violates the fundamental principles of democracy and human rights despite a worldwide call for its repeal. In this spiralling spread of impunity that has infected every sphere of governance in Manipur, the highly problematic implementation of this Act in Manipur ever since has not solved any of the problems it was meant to resolve. In fact, the climate of impunity and unabated use of brute force by the state to deal with any situation has repeatedly compounded and complicated the situation in Manipur. There have been reports of the divisive and partisan role played by Indian security forces in Manipur, most recently in Moreh Town in August this year.
The observed overall lack of training, preparedness and strict adherence to existing principles and guidelines of crowd control has resulted in the tragic death of one child in Imphal East District in August and nine other innocent lives, including one child, in Churachandpur district during this month, and the violent human rights violations of more than a hundred persons, mainly young persons and children in Manipur, including reported arbitrary detentions, torture and cruel or inhuman and degrading treatment, and grievous injuries perpetrated by the law enforcement agencies in different parts of the State. The State police and central security forces have been let loose to inflict a brutally violent response by using disproportionate powers to suppress public protests in the last three months concerning a set of laws purportedly designed to address a critical issue faced by all the indigenous peoples and communities of the State.
Curfew and public restrictions under Cr.P.C. Section 144 have been imposed repeatedly during the last three months in the districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Senapati, Chandel and Churachandpur in the wake of public protests against the atrocities committed by the state law and order machinery. Public strikes, road blockades, market closures and public transportation shut downs have contributed to the volatile situation causing immense obstacles and restrictions in public life and government functioning.
Today, Manipur is on the brink of an inter-ethnic calamity. If appropriate steps are not taken now there is every possibility of an explosion of dirty and violent ethnic hostilities that can only lead to a human and humanitarian disaster of such proportions that we have not seen before in this sub-region of South Asia.
CSCHR is very concerned that there exists in Manipur a situation of mounting polarisation of different ethnic groups within the State fuelled by perceptions of multiple threats by the different ethnic communities, the spread of rumours and disinformation, highly objectionable statements published or released by fringe groups and elements aimed to bring about communal enmity, partisan discussions and meetings, the abject lack of the will to communicate and dialogue, expectations that are detrimental to the maintenance of communal harmony and the strengthening of democracy and human rights protection, and sectarian demands that impinge upon the provisions of the Constitution of India and international human rights and humanitarian law.
CSCHR earnestly urges the government of Manipur and all communities living together in Manipur to desist from partisan and divisive, non-inclusive processes and activities that can lead to a serious rupture of the democratic and sovereign polity of Manipur State. The need at this critical hour is for all communities in Manipur to embrace constructive suggestions and inclusive dialogue as this is the only avenue we have now to avoid a humanitarian disaster.
Further, CSCHR strongly recommends to the governments of Manipur and India to facilitate the healing of the suffering people of Manipur by immediately embarking on just reconciliation measures of redress by removing all legislative, policy and administrative encumbrances and obstacles in the State, such as the repeal of AFSPA and repressive discriminatory laws, re-establishing a fair and compassionate Rule of Law that is strictly in compliance with India’s obligations to all its citizens, the supreme Constitutional provisions and international human rights and humanitarian law for the promotion of democracy and peace.
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(Dr Laifungbam Debabrata Roy)
Convenor
On Behalf of the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the UN
Member Organisations of CSCHR are:
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/09/press-statement-of-civil-society-coalition-on-human-rights-in-manipur-the-un-manipur-on-the-brink-of-an-inter-ethnic-calamity/
PRESS COMMUNIQUE New Delhi 4th September, 2015 RESIGNATION OF FOUR NPF MLAs FROM THE MANIPUR LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY We, the following Members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly belonging
PRESS COMMUNIQUE
New Delhi
4th September, 2015
RESIGNATION OF FOUR NPF MLAs FROM
THE MANIPUR LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
We, the following Members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly belonging to the Naga People’s Front, elected to the Assembly in the General Elections held in March, 2012, have tendered our resignation from the membership of the assembly with effect from the 4th September, 2015:
| SI No. | Name of MLA | Constituency |
| 1
2 3 4 |
Mr. L. Dikho
Mr. Samuel Risom Mr. ST Victor Nunghlung Dr. V. Alexandra Pao |
48- Mao
44- Ukhrul 41- Chandel 47- Karong |
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(L. DIKHO)
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(SAMUEL RISOM)
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(ST. VICTOR NUNGHLUNG)
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(DR. ALEXANDER PAO)
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/09/exact-content-of-the-resignation-press-communique-of-the-four-npf-mlas-of-manipur/
In response to the years long movement demanding implementation of an Inner Line Permit System in Manipur, the Government of Manipur have recently passed three bills; the Protection of
In response to the years long movement demanding implementation of an Inner Line Permit System in Manipur, the Government of Manipur have recently passed three bills; the Protection of Manipur People Bill 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Amendment Bill 2015, and the Manipur Shops and Establishments Bill 2015. These bills have been achieved after prolonged struggle that had affected most of the people (in Manipur) in some way or the other such as heavy repressions, casualties, arrests, riots, destruction of properties and obstructions to the normal functioning of democratic order.
Read about “The Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015″
Some sections of the population, however, have expressed dissatisfaction to the bills. The hard core pro ILP Sections felt that their demand have not been fully fulfilled by these bills. They considered that the Government still enjoys the power to sell land to the outsiders. Economically powerful outsiders can still buy land, if they are being favoured by those who are with the administration. There is no clear cut provision on the protection of the local labour and professionals, as outsider employees are exempted from the permit system. Whereas registered local entrepreneurs who fail to get their employees registered had to be penalised, there is no penalty against outsiders who would violate the provisions of the bills, such as entry without a valid pass or who fail to get their name registered in the concerned Directorate. There is also no provision on the detection of the landowner outsiders and corresponding actions to be taken up against them.
Read about “Manipur Land Revenue & Land reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015
The bills have been openly opposed by the ‘tribal’ organisations, who claimed control of the Manipur Hill districts, particularly those of the Kuki Chin Mizo communities. They started feeling insecure as many of them, either those who probably immigrated to Manipur after 1951 or whose lineages may not be found in the list criteria mentioned in the Bills, could be treated as outsiders and lose their landed rights and properties tied with land. The other tribes have also expressed the similar concern. While trying to project the bills as pro-Meetei, they, however, fail to see that no one who come after 1951 is exempted from the permit system, including some sections of the Meeteis and others who came to Manipur after 1951. What they could have argued is that that the cut of base year 1951, to detect outsiders, would be redundant in regards to those settled immigrants after 1951 who have close ethnic ties with the one or the other ‘indigenous’ community. However, this insecurity interplayed with the propaganda that the Manipur Land Revenue and Reform Act 1960 have been extended to the hill districts, which is untrue as there is no amendment in the territorial extent of the said Act.
Read about “The Manipur Shops & Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015″
The resentment against the bills, which have affected Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh towns and other hill areas would not have been escalated into the present scale of unrest, had the Government of Manipur consulted the Hill Areas Committee or other responsible ‘tribal’ organisations to resolve any misunderstanding before passing the bills. The Government of Manipur had been lacking transparent in this regards; to the extent that these bills had not been made officially public till date. On the other-hand there has been inherent sectarianism of the civil societies that are either in favour of or against these bills. Neither the organisation that had led the ILP movement nor the tribal organisations who protest the bills had approached one another for a dialogue and understanding in this regards. From the beginning the ILP movement was mostly confined in the Valley Districts, while those in the Hills have isolated themselves from the movement thinking that they have been protected from outsiders under the existing laws. There were avoidable conflicts, which would have not occurred if these organisation had pursued for democratic solution to any of the complex issues. Now, when tensions have been spread due to misunderstanding and absence of dialogue, there seems to be roles of certain vested political groups to add fuel to magnify the unrest situation, to justify imposition of President Rule to topple down the incumbent congress ministry.
Our concern, however, is that all these unrest, rioting and repression has led to heavy toll and casualty on the civilians, destruction of properties and communal mistrusts. The common peoples are the losers in this conflict; as we know, the elite will negotiate at the negotiation table and share any form of loot from the public fund. We question: what are these bills that have caused dissatisfactions and misunderstandings to different sections of the population? Is there no room to either clarify the misunderstanding or add some clauses in the bills to resolve the immediate tension? Can the ‘indigenous insiders’ protect themselves from outsiders without promoting mutual trust, respect and co-operation amongst themselves? What the people need to realise is that they are trapped by the same fate of political betrayal and marginalisation. Unless they fight collectively on the basis of mutual respect and consensus, they are the losers. We, therefore, call upon the concerned civil society organisations, political parties, and other stake holders to have a dialogue on the Manipur People Protection Bill 2015 and the amendments in other two bills. We appeal them to help in defusing tension, demilitarisation and address the grievances of the affected families across communities.
Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)
2nd September 2015
Three Bills Passed by Government of Manipur:
1. The Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015
2. The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (7th Amendment ) Bill, 2015
3. The Manipur Shops and Establishments (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2015
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/09/cpdm-on-present-conflict-on-protection-bill/
