An ADC election without strengthening the ADC is just a mockery and a lot of eyewash, said a statement issued by ATSUM Information and Publicity Secretary Khaiminlen Doungel said
TFM Desk
Tribal student bodies on Wednesday resolved that the ADC election should not be conducted until the process for introduction of HAC recommended Bill 2021 in the Assembly is duly initiated.
The statement said an ADC election without strengthening the ADC is just a mockery and a lot of eyewash. If the government is really for empowering and strengthening the ADC then it has to conduct the election after the HAC recommended bill is introduced in the assembly. Then, only the good intention of the government will be validated, it added.
The decision was taken at a consultative meeting of ATSUM, KSO-GHQ, ANSAM and senior ATSUM leaders at Amity Hall, Adimjati Complex, to discuss the HAC Recommended ADC Bill 2021 and the state government intention to process the conduct of ADC election, said a statement issued by ATSUM Information and Publicity Secretary Khaiminlen Doungel.
The meeting attended by the executives of the three apex tribal student bodies and its senior leaders thoroughly deliberated on the ADC Bill Movement spearheaded by ATSUM demanding the introduction of the bill in the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
After a thorough discussion, the meeting resolved to ratify its long-standing demand of tabling the bill in the Manipur Legislative Assembly at the earliest possible time.
In the statement, the ATSUM expressed its deep dissatisfaction with the previous government which had failed to table the bill despite inking an agreement with the three tribal student bodies.
On 25 November 2021, the three student bodies signed an agreement with the government in which the state government had given its assurance for tabling the bill in the winter session of Manipur Legislative Assembly in the event of ATSUM suspending its agitation.
Stating that the agitation was suspended as per the agreement, the student body lamented the winter session was never convened. Now it is the aspiration and expectation of the tribal people that the HAC recommended Bill 2021 is tabled in the assembly at the soonest time possible, it added.
The statement said ATSUM had always demanded the timely conduct of the ADC election in the past and had even launched agitations to pressurise the government. But the government on one pretext or another had delayed it. However, when all the tribal people of the state decided to strengthen and empower the ADC by supporting HAC recommended Bill 2021, the government seems to act in a hurry to conduct ADC election, it added.