The Inter District Boundaries Re-organisation Demand Committee For Administrative Convenience (IDBRDCAC) on Monday submitted a memorandum to Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla in the matter demanding for Re-Organisation of Inter-District Boundaries for administrative convenience and justice.
The memorandum reads – On behalf of the people who are politically marginalized, economically deprived and enduring disadvantages in all administrative process including judicial issues for the last many decades have the honour to state the following hard facts and circumstances for kind your perusal and to look into the matter with urgent intervention thereof.
That, the people of the indigenous tribes namely Rongmei (Zeliangrong), Kharam, Chiru, Inpui etc. (total 21 villages) who are living under the 51-Saitu (ST/AC) of SADAR Hills now Kangpokpi District and those indigenous tribes living under the 57-Henglep (ST/AC) of Churachandpur district namely Rongmei (Zeliangrong), Chiru, Chothe etc. (total 19 villages) have been facing hardships and untold suffering for the last many decades due to the reasons stated hereunder :-
1. Politically Marginalized :-
Local governance system in the form of Autonomous District Council was introduced and constituted in the hills districts by the enactment of “The Manipur (Hills Areas) Districts Council Act, 1971”, with 20 (twenty) Members in each District Council, for which 18 (eighteen) Members has to be elected by way of adult suffrage and 2 (two) Members to be nominated by the Administrator (i.e. Governor) as per Section 4(2) & (3) proviso of the said Act.
But not a single Autonomous District Council Constituency was created for the minority groups for participation in the local governance. Instead, the minority groups are deliberately scattered and clubbed together with the majority and dominant group (Kuki) thereby reducing the minority groups incapacitated for participation even in the local governance.
And as per the proviso of Section 4 (a) of the said Act, delimitation was effected in 2008 with the increment of 6 (six) additional seats for each District Council in the hills that increased from 20 (twenty) members to 26 (twenty six) members for which 24 (twenty four) .embers to be elected through adult suffrage and 2 (two) members to be nominated respectively. But similar policy of marginalisation and suppression upon the minority groups continued thereby denied even a single ADC Constituency particularly in Churachandpur district. Hence, the purpose of enactment of the said Act and composition of the Autonomous Districts Council or delimitation of Autonomous District Councils Constituencies effected envisaged to empower the hills people and especially the minority groups has turned into complete futility and meaningless.
However, it is worthwhile to note that there are 2 (two) ADC Constituencies created exclusively for Kukis in Tamenglong and Noney districts namely 10-Phaitol DCC under 52-Tamel ST (AC) and 24-Longpi DCC under 54-Nungba ST (AC) respectively.
2. Economically Deprived :-
In the absence of political empowerment envisaging to ameliorate the economy and suffering of the people is next to impossible. Because all the developmental works; welfare programmes or schemes etc. are executed and implemented by the administration with the monitoring and supervision of the politically advantaged and empowered groups. Hence, chances of marginalized minority groups getting any kinds of benefit under the dominant majority set up is next to impossible.
3. Disadvantages in Administrative Process :-
The minority groups always suffer when it comes to face with the majority in all spheres. This is inevitable because the minority group has no influence over the entire affairs of the administration which is being controlled, concentrated and confined in the majority group dominated areas. Therefore, district re-organisation is the only ultimate option to empower the abovementioned minority groups politically, socially and economically and also to enable them live together with the same race of people.
4. Judicial Issues:-
The minority group has the feeling of insecurity even in pursuing judicial issues and attending or appearing Court(s) cases proceedings specifically pertaining to land and other serious issues in the majority dominated areas. This is one of the main glaring reasons why our ancestral lands have been encroached upon by the majority group.
Several memoranda and representations have been submitted to the successive Govt. in the past highlighting the grievances and untold sufferings and demanding to effect re-organisation of inter-district boundaries to facilitate amalgamation of those villages belongs to the abovementioned indigenous tribes into Tamenglong district now Noney (Longmai) district. However, the successive Govt. has been pursuing and upholding the British colonel policy of suppression and subjugation upon the indigenous minority groups of people.
Therefore, the tall claims of this country boasting of enacting various laws to protect and safeguard the indigenous minorities section of the people after the attainment of India freedom from the bondage of the British colonel rule has reduced into complete mockery and farce.
Unable to bear all the brunt of disadvantages in all fronts and perpetual suppression by the dominant and majority groups of people upon the smaller indigenous tribes, have decided to part away from the 51-Saitu (ST/AC) of Kangpokpi district (erstwhile Sadar Hills) and 57-Henglep (ST/AC) of Churachandpur district so as to merge with Noney (Longmai) district for administrative convenience and for the ends of justice.
Having no alternative and efficacious mode to draw the attention of the Government, the aggrieved and disadvantages people of the indigenous minorities groups of the above mentioned two Assembly Constituencies may resort to take up the following steps in the event of failure to fulfil the genuine demand which are being placed under your present dispensation, such as :-
(1) payment of village Hill House Tax to DC, Noney (Longmai) district;
(ii) to process for deletion of electors (voters) lists from 51-Saitu (ST/AC) and 57-Henglep (ST/AC) forthwith;
(iii) to process for registration in the electors (voters) electoral rolls of Noney (Longmai) districts; and
iv).the disadvantages people of indigenous minorities groups of the two Assembly Constituencies will be compelled to take up different modes of sustainable democratic protest and agitation any time as deem require until the Govt. effect re-organisation of inter-district boundaries for the ends of justice.
The memo also includes an endorsement letter from 21 villages under 51-Saitu Assembly Constituency and 19 villages from 57-Henglep Assembly Constituency duly signed by the villages Chief/Chairman representing the opinion and choice of the people of their respective village for amalgamation into Noney (Longmai) district along with a proposed map.
The memorandum was jointly signed by TH. Pamei, Convenor, IDBRDCAC, Gailanchung Kamei, Secretary, IDBRDCAC, K. Adim, Chairman, Rongmei Naga Chief Association Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts and PG. Agang, Chairman, JAC on Merger of Taiphai Area to Noney District, Manipur.
