At this juncture, when an attempt is being made for the installation of a popular government in Manipur, the MLAs elected from Hill Areas, who are in the ruling coalition, should insist on a commitment from the incoming Chief Minister and his bosses for the implementation of the constitutional provisions given by Article 371-C.
The constitutional provisions give the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) the right of legislation for Hill Areas. The governance in the Hill Areas has suffered for more than fifty years due to the lack of laws on all the subject matters listed in the โSecond Scheduleโ of the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972.
Further, a HAC-recommended legislation called the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill, 2021 is already pending with the state government for more than four years, and the Bill has to be allowed to run its full course as laid down by the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972.
This singular act of implementation of the constitutional provisions given by Article 371-C could ameliorate the adverse situation prevailing in Manipur between the dominant community (who control the state government and all its machinery) and help mitigate the trust deficit.
Onus to get this assurance from the political bosses at this juncture vests squarely on the tribal MLAs elected from Hill Areas belonging to the BJP party and the MLAs from the NPF, etc., who are supporting the BJP coalition. CSOs, students, and the people in Hill Areas should remember this crucial opportunity afforded to the MLAs elected from Hill Areas and hold them accountable in the next general election (which would be a year from now) if they fail to demand, negotiate, and get assurance for the implementation of constitutional provisions given by Article 371-C for Hill Areas from the incoming Chief Minister and the political bosses.
Aran Shimray
New Delhi
(The views and opinions in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Rural Post)
