Office of the
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES FORUM MEDIA CELL
Hqrs: Haflong, N.C. Hills
Email: ipf_nch@hotmail.com
Dated: 4/9/2015
Press Release
on issues confronting the indigenous hills tribal of Manipur State
The joint meeting of all organization of the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum (IPF), N.C. Hills, Assam viz; N.C. Hills Indigenous Student’s Forum (NCIDSF), Indigenous Women Forum (IWF), Indigenous Village Chief Forum (IVCF) with the affiliated Apex body of the Zeme, Hmar, Kuki, Vaiphei, Biate, Rongmei, Hrangkhol and other communities on 3rd September, 2015 at Haflong raised their strong resentment against the bills introduced in the special session of Manipur Assembly on 28th August 2015.
The joint meeting stated that the three bills viz;
1. The Protection of Manipur People Bills 2015.
2. The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (7th Amendment) Bill 2015.
3. The Manipur shop and establishment (2nd Amendment) Bill 2015.
is a detrimental force acting against the safety of the indigenous tribal of Manipur as it attempt to exclude them from their own land. The joint meeting also agreed that declaration of the bills by the Manipur Legislative Assembly is done without the free and prior consent of the hills tribal of Manipur and is therefore, gross violation and infringement upon the indigenous rights of the tribal communities and the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous People Article 26, 1&2.
The IPF therefore felt that, under no circumstances, the Government of Manipur infringe upon the rights and dignity of the indigenous tribal peoples but to adopt fair and just legislations which shall be accountable to all people of Manipur whether it is the communities living in the hills or those in the valley.
The IPF would further reiterates that, a judicial inquiry into the death of those civilians should be instituted immediately by the central government and take prompt action for immediate restoration of peace and normalcy in the state of Manipur.
The joint meeting strongly condemned the killings of innocent tribal by police forces of Manipur who opposed the declaration of the bills in the larger interest of security and unity to protect, promote and preserve their ancestral land for all time to come. The Government of Manipur should therefore, take swift action against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
The IPF also urges both central and Manipur government to check further escalation of violence and killings in the state and to immediately instil peace and security in the minds of the indigenous hills tribal people.
The joint meeting further adopts a resolution to send condolences message to victim’s families who had lost their dear and beloved ones in their fight against the confronting legislations passed by the state assembly of Manipur on August 31, 2015.
Further, the joint meeting convened at Haflong, on this day of the 3rd September, 2015 urge the government to forbid step-motherly treatment to any particular communities living in the state and would like to draw the attention of the government of Manipur not to follow the footsteps of Assam government who amid wide protest from the Indigenous hills tribal forcibly change the nomenclature of N.C. Hills to ‘Dima Hasao’ on 30th March, 2010. The IPF communities who comprises of 67% of the district total population are left with no other option but to launch a strong movement for creation of a separate autonomous district under Article 244 (2) and 275 (1) of the sixth schedule of the constitution of India since 2008. The IPF therefore stands united against any attempt or move to alienate the indigenous hills tribal people of North-east India from their own land.
Sd/-
Zion L Faihriem
Media & Publicity in-charge
