ANSAM calls for 72 hrs ‘Chakka bandh’

IMPHAL, JUL 8: The All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has announced a 72-hour 'chakka bandh' on July 12 from 6 p.m. in all 'Naga areas' in Manipur against what it termed as 'suppression of tribal peoples' rights

 by the state government of Manipur'.
Elucidating its reason for calling the bandh, ANSAM alleged that the rights of the tribals in the present state of Manipur have consistently been suppressed on all fronts by the Manipur government.
Citing a point, ANSAM said that the tribal people have been demanding the extension of the provisions of the 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India to the hill areas of Manipur since 1990. It claimed that after agreeing to accede to the demand, the State government, however, maliciously stonewalled the process by inserting a rider that the 6th Schedule would be extended after local adjustments and amendments.
"Instead of sincerely pursuing their commitment, after 20 long years the State government came out with the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) Act 2008, doctored and stripped off of all the provisions that go into self governance and the rights of the hill people over their land and resources and removing the primacy of the traditional institutions of the tribals", ANSAM pointed out.
ANSAM made it clear that the Autonomous District Council elections should not be 'imposed' till such time the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council (3rd Amendment) Act, 2008 was amended to secure the rights of the tribal people over their lands and the pre-eminence of tribal institutions which provides for democratic polity within their societies and their right to self governance enshrined in the Indian constitution.
"This illegal manner in which the amendment was rushed through and the manner in which the ADC elections under the "unwanted 2008 Act" were imposed in the face of strong protests contravene the rights of the tribal people,: ANSAM claimed. Left with no option, it said the Naga people under the leadership of United Naga Council were compelled to declare ADC election 'null and void' and further forewarned that under no circumstance the ADC would be allowed to function in Naga areas. It, however, accused that the State government went ahead by administering oath to the infamous ADC candidates. The ANSAM has demanded all the "unmandated" members of ADC for immediate abdication from the office of the so called Autonomous District Council.
It lamented that despite persistently launching democratic forms of agitation to register their grievances, it responded by choosing to issue arrest warrants against leaders of Naga civil societies with "wanted tag" on June 7, 2010.
To protest against all these 'undemocratic and suppressive acts' of the Manipur government, the Naga students' body has, in pursuance of the joint decision with United Naga Council at Senapati on July 7, decided to call for a 72-hour 'chakka bandh' in all the 'Naga areas'.  Naga people and general public are urged to extend their solidarity by restraining themselves from travelling in any kind of vehicles during the bandh.
It, however, said that emergency and essential services such as medical, electricity, fire-service, water supply, postal and telecom services would be exempted from the purview of the bandh. Any untoward incidence arising out of violation of the proposed restriction will be at one's own risk," ANSAM cautions.

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