By Joseph R Hmar, Secretary (Information and Publicity), ATSUM
The decision of the State Government to ‘ban Bandhs and Blockades’ and the subsequent appeal made by it in the local dailies seems to be very reasonable and logical if one considers the financial losses and inconvenience caused to the general public by such protests. We are sure that those peoples who identify ATSUM with ‘Bandh & Blockade’ will be having a sigh of relief and may also be happy to visit us in jails or gleefully read out story in the newspapers sooner than later. We also hope that the economic condition of the State of Manipur drastically improves and the overall living condition of the people of the State is better than ever before with such a move.
In the mean time, we would like to place our side of the story and the circumstances that led us to be in such an enviable situation before ATSUM relaunch its agitation after the lapse of the week time requested by the young Congress Ministers on the 17,18 & 19 August 2007.
Since June 2003, ATSUM has imposed Economic Blockade on the State’s National Highways 10 times - ranging from 3 days to 14 days. All these agitations ended with talks with the Government in the highest level and with the latter conceding some of our demands and promising some. Besides the Blockades, ultimatum to the Government with threat of agitation was served to the Government 9 times - the same were also settled amicably.
Some of the issues we raised before the Government in the last couple of years are:
1. Tribal Reservation Bill. Reservation for SC/STs has been a litigious issue in the State of Manipur since its inception in 1972. The Manipur Reservation of Vacancies in Post and Services (for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) ACT 1976 has been kept inoperative for one reason or the other for the last 35 years. ATSUM has openly started to take up this issue since the latter part of 2005. After much persuasion and pressure through Bandhs & Blockades from our side and promises from the Government, Special Assembly of the Manipur Legislative Assembly was held from 15-18 September, 2006 to introduce and pass the Bill. However, it soon came to our notice that some sections and clauses of the Bill are controversial, unsatisfactory and harmful for the tribal’s interest.
A meeting was held in the office chamber of the Chief Secretary on September 26, 2006 (vide letter No. 9/1/91-DP(ST/SC) dated September 21, 2006) in which the Additional Chief Secretary (Forest & Environment), Principal Secretary (TD), Secretary (Law), Special Secretary (DP) were also present. In the meeting, ATSUM has given its comments and reasons on the ‘2006 Bill’ point by point to the State Government - some to be deleted, some to be added and some to be rectified.
Another round of Bandhs & Blockade was launched in order to give pressure to the Hon’ble Chief Minister so that he initiate another Special Assembly to pass this long-pending Reservation Bill. We were promised that the then Congress SPF-led Government would take responsibility for introduction of the Bill in the next Assembly -whether they are in the ruling or opposition bench. Congress romped home in the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly election and Shri O. Ibobi was sworn in once again to lead the Government. The CM however failed to keep his promise of introducing the Reservation Bill in the first sitting of the new Assembly. It was only when ATSUM took the extreme step of imposing Economic Blockade that the said Bill was introduced unwillingly. Much to our surprise, an entirely new clause that gives protection to erring officers on action taken in good faith was added from nowhere in the 2007 Bill under Section 18A and 18B. This particular sections, it may be pointed out is not in the original 1976 Act nor the 2006 Bill which the Governor of Manipur sent back to the Assembly. Whatever is the case, ATSUM is now in a wait and watch policy with this Bill. We will definitely take up the matter again by using any sorts of protest if the Reservation Bill and Reservation Rule do not figure in the list of items in the next Assembly session.
2. PMT case of 2003. The State Government in 2003 hurriedly amended the Rules for selection of Government nominees for MBBS/BDS in June 2003. Realising its mistake and agreeing to the stand taken by ATSUM, the State Government decided to bears all expenses incurred by ATSUM & the 17 tribal candidates to fight their case in the Supreme Court. The State Government also finally agreed to amend the PMT Rules in April 27, 2004. We still are not sure whether the Government will act in this manner had there been no Bandhs & Blockades in pursuance of the issue. Meanwhile, the State Government decision of giving reservation in Post Graduate courses for Government Medical Officers that was kept under wrap since 1995 was dug out and published in the State official gazette in 2005. Though tribals lose some 18 PG seats for the last 9/10 years, we now get a minimum 2 seats every year. This will never be there without Bandhs & Blockades.
3. A separate Directorate of Education for the Hill areas for the better functioning and streamlining of the working and functioning of Education Department was the long cherished demand of ATSUM and other like-minded organisations. After so many rounds of discussion and deliberation, a number of Bandhs and Blockades, the Government on January 27, 2004 issued an order for the creation of Two Additional Director in Education(s) Department one for valley and one for hills. ATSUM, it may be noted here, came down to that office considering the technical and political difficulties of the Government. Still then more than 5 agitations were taken up as the said order was not fully made functional because of bureaucratic hassles and indifference shown by some public servants from time to time.
4. Shortage of teachers in Government schools in the Hill districts has also been repeatedly highlighted and posting of adequate teachers was constantly demanded by ATSUM. Though the Government was still under its self-imposed ban on all recruitment, on May 15, 2006, it had finally agreed to recruit 1332 teachers of all grades on Contract Basis for schools in the hill areas only. This massive recruitment, though for only a period of 85 days may not have taken place if ATSUM did not use all forms of pressure tactics and steps.
5. Backlog in Post & Vacancies. When the actual figure of employees under Education(s) Department was made public, tribals occupied a mere 25% though the State Government was under the impression of following the conventional practice of giving 33 % reservation to SC & STs in all Government and semi-Government recruitment. As such, an MoU was signed between ATSUM and the State Government on September 20, 2005 whereby it was agreed that, ‘tribals would be given 50% in the then ongoing recruitment of 679 Graduate Teachers’. Whether the said agreement was implemented or not is for all to look back. MoU may not be an official order that can be used as legal document and binding but we feel that ‘written understanding between two parties needs to be respected and thoughtfully considered’.
6. Manipur University. The conversion of Manipur University for ‘state’ to ‘central’ has unexpectedly put the tribal in a very unstable position. We request the Government to sympathetically intervene on the matter and try to work out some formula since that is its bounded duty as a welfare State. Though the Government has now realised the gravity of the issue, it still did nothing concrete.
7. Contract Basis Teachers. When the shortage of teachers of all grades in the hill districts was worked-out to be some 1930 and 1320 recruited on contract basis as a ‘first phase’. Before going for the Second Phase, it recruited 679 Graduate Teachers on regular basis and posted just 306 though it advertised for the hill areas only. Surprisingly then, it now refuses to extend the services of those Contract Basis teachers beyond March 2007 with the excuse that, “replacement were already made with the posting of those 306 newly recruited teachers”. This is absurd and unacceptable.
8. MPSC 2007. In the recently conducted recruitment process for MCS and other allied services of the State, the MPSC had knowingly refused to follow its own ‘Rules & Regulations’ in the matter of reservation of seats for SCs & STs. The State’s Department of Personnel and the MPSC blame each other for the fiasco. As was done before, the State Government act and rectify the mistake only when ATSUM’s dateline for rectification of the same expired and we had already launched an agitation. The same could have been avoided had the Government immediately acted to resolve the matter without Bandhs & Blockade.
ATSUM has gone for Bandhs & Blockade as we feel that, that is the only way we can draw the attention of the Government with our issues and grievances. We, at this moment have no other means under our disposal and will therefore go ahead with our issues and the means and ways of pursuing it.
The ‘one week period’ request by the new and ‘young turk’ Ministers for them to have a clearer picture is already over. We shall again be compelled to do what we typically did before and we will be blamed and action initiated against us come what may on ATSUM.
Source: The Sangai Express
The decision of the State Government to ‘ban Bandhs and Blockades’ and the subsequent appeal made by it in the local dailies seems to be very reasonable and logical if one considers the financial losses and inconvenience caused to the general public by such protests. We are sure that those peoples who identify ATSUM with ‘Bandh & Blockade’ will be having a sigh of relief and may also be happy to visit us in jails or gleefully read out story in the newspapers sooner than later. We also hope that the economic condition of the State of Manipur drastically improves and the overall living condition of the people of the State is better than ever before with such a move.
In the mean time, we would like to place our side of the story and the circumstances that led us to be in such an enviable situation before ATSUM relaunch its agitation after the lapse of the week time requested by the young Congress Ministers on the 17,18 & 19 August 2007.
Since June 2003, ATSUM has imposed Economic Blockade on the State’s National Highways 10 times - ranging from 3 days to 14 days. All these agitations ended with talks with the Government in the highest level and with the latter conceding some of our demands and promising some. Besides the Blockades, ultimatum to the Government with threat of agitation was served to the Government 9 times - the same were also settled amicably.
Some of the issues we raised before the Government in the last couple of years are:
1. Tribal Reservation Bill. Reservation for SC/STs has been a litigious issue in the State of Manipur since its inception in 1972. The Manipur Reservation of Vacancies in Post and Services (for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) ACT 1976 has been kept inoperative for one reason or the other for the last 35 years. ATSUM has openly started to take up this issue since the latter part of 2005. After much persuasion and pressure through Bandhs & Blockades from our side and promises from the Government, Special Assembly of the Manipur Legislative Assembly was held from 15-18 September, 2006 to introduce and pass the Bill. However, it soon came to our notice that some sections and clauses of the Bill are controversial, unsatisfactory and harmful for the tribal’s interest.
A meeting was held in the office chamber of the Chief Secretary on September 26, 2006 (vide letter No. 9/1/91-DP(ST/SC) dated September 21, 2006) in which the Additional Chief Secretary (Forest & Environment), Principal Secretary (TD), Secretary (Law), Special Secretary (DP) were also present. In the meeting, ATSUM has given its comments and reasons on the ‘2006 Bill’ point by point to the State Government - some to be deleted, some to be added and some to be rectified.
Another round of Bandhs & Blockade was launched in order to give pressure to the Hon’ble Chief Minister so that he initiate another Special Assembly to pass this long-pending Reservation Bill. We were promised that the then Congress SPF-led Government would take responsibility for introduction of the Bill in the next Assembly -whether they are in the ruling or opposition bench. Congress romped home in the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly election and Shri O. Ibobi was sworn in once again to lead the Government. The CM however failed to keep his promise of introducing the Reservation Bill in the first sitting of the new Assembly. It was only when ATSUM took the extreme step of imposing Economic Blockade that the said Bill was introduced unwillingly. Much to our surprise, an entirely new clause that gives protection to erring officers on action taken in good faith was added from nowhere in the 2007 Bill under Section 18A and 18B. This particular sections, it may be pointed out is not in the original 1976 Act nor the 2006 Bill which the Governor of Manipur sent back to the Assembly. Whatever is the case, ATSUM is now in a wait and watch policy with this Bill. We will definitely take up the matter again by using any sorts of protest if the Reservation Bill and Reservation Rule do not figure in the list of items in the next Assembly session.
2. PMT case of 2003. The State Government in 2003 hurriedly amended the Rules for selection of Government nominees for MBBS/BDS in June 2003. Realising its mistake and agreeing to the stand taken by ATSUM, the State Government decided to bears all expenses incurred by ATSUM & the 17 tribal candidates to fight their case in the Supreme Court. The State Government also finally agreed to amend the PMT Rules in April 27, 2004. We still are not sure whether the Government will act in this manner had there been no Bandhs & Blockades in pursuance of the issue. Meanwhile, the State Government decision of giving reservation in Post Graduate courses for Government Medical Officers that was kept under wrap since 1995 was dug out and published in the State official gazette in 2005. Though tribals lose some 18 PG seats for the last 9/10 years, we now get a minimum 2 seats every year. This will never be there without Bandhs & Blockades.
3. A separate Directorate of Education for the Hill areas for the better functioning and streamlining of the working and functioning of Education Department was the long cherished demand of ATSUM and other like-minded organisations. After so many rounds of discussion and deliberation, a number of Bandhs and Blockades, the Government on January 27, 2004 issued an order for the creation of Two Additional Director in Education(s) Department one for valley and one for hills. ATSUM, it may be noted here, came down to that office considering the technical and political difficulties of the Government. Still then more than 5 agitations were taken up as the said order was not fully made functional because of bureaucratic hassles and indifference shown by some public servants from time to time.
4. Shortage of teachers in Government schools in the Hill districts has also been repeatedly highlighted and posting of adequate teachers was constantly demanded by ATSUM. Though the Government was still under its self-imposed ban on all recruitment, on May 15, 2006, it had finally agreed to recruit 1332 teachers of all grades on Contract Basis for schools in the hill areas only. This massive recruitment, though for only a period of 85 days may not have taken place if ATSUM did not use all forms of pressure tactics and steps.
5. Backlog in Post & Vacancies. When the actual figure of employees under Education(s) Department was made public, tribals occupied a mere 25% though the State Government was under the impression of following the conventional practice of giving 33 % reservation to SC & STs in all Government and semi-Government recruitment. As such, an MoU was signed between ATSUM and the State Government on September 20, 2005 whereby it was agreed that, ‘tribals would be given 50% in the then ongoing recruitment of 679 Graduate Teachers’. Whether the said agreement was implemented or not is for all to look back. MoU may not be an official order that can be used as legal document and binding but we feel that ‘written understanding between two parties needs to be respected and thoughtfully considered’.
6. Manipur University. The conversion of Manipur University for ‘state’ to ‘central’ has unexpectedly put the tribal in a very unstable position. We request the Government to sympathetically intervene on the matter and try to work out some formula since that is its bounded duty as a welfare State. Though the Government has now realised the gravity of the issue, it still did nothing concrete.
7. Contract Basis Teachers. When the shortage of teachers of all grades in the hill districts was worked-out to be some 1930 and 1320 recruited on contract basis as a ‘first phase’. Before going for the Second Phase, it recruited 679 Graduate Teachers on regular basis and posted just 306 though it advertised for the hill areas only. Surprisingly then, it now refuses to extend the services of those Contract Basis teachers beyond March 2007 with the excuse that, “replacement were already made with the posting of those 306 newly recruited teachers”. This is absurd and unacceptable.
8. MPSC 2007. In the recently conducted recruitment process for MCS and other allied services of the State, the MPSC had knowingly refused to follow its own ‘Rules & Regulations’ in the matter of reservation of seats for SCs & STs. The State’s Department of Personnel and the MPSC blame each other for the fiasco. As was done before, the State Government act and rectify the mistake only when ATSUM’s dateline for rectification of the same expired and we had already launched an agitation. The same could have been avoided had the Government immediately acted to resolve the matter without Bandhs & Blockade.
ATSUM has gone for Bandhs & Blockade as we feel that, that is the only way we can draw the attention of the Government with our issues and grievances. We, at this moment have no other means under our disposal and will therefore go ahead with our issues and the means and ways of pursuing it.
The ‘one week period’ request by the new and ‘young turk’ Ministers for them to have a clearer picture is already over. We shall again be compelled to do what we typically did before and we will be blamed and action initiated against us come what may on ATSUM.
Source: The Sangai Express
