- By Haokholala Thangjom
The Constituent Assembly of the free India and the founding fathers of our Constitution gave a special attention to the interests of the Scheduled Tribes in India. Corollary to that objective, Article 244(2) was incorporated in the Constitution to confer district autonomy on the tribal areas in Assam which was substituted by the North Eastern Areas (Re-organisation Act, 1971 with effect from the 21st January 1972.
Thereby, the new State of Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram were brought under the purview of Article 244(2). Alas! Phooey! Manipur was excluded. Besides the Tribal areas, the provisions of the Fifth Schedule apply to the administration and control of the Scheduled areas in any State as provided in Article 244(1). It may be pertinent to note that region or areas inhabited by the Scheduled tribes or tribal people is tribal areas and not hills areas that is to say that land belonging to the tribal people. Hill areas is simple a connotation of geographical feature and has no political significance. On strict scrutiny the Hill areas committee constituted under the Special provision with respect to Manipur, vide Article 371-C is a misnomer or unsuitable name. The members of the Assembly elected from the Hill areas of the State is also a paradox or self-contradictory meaning as the Tribal areas committee should comprise members from the Scheduled tribe reserve seats.
After the dissolution of the Congress Ministry led by late Shri Mairembam Koiren Singh on the 16th October 1969 an All Party Statehood Demand Committee was formed and delegates met the Central leaders including Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister many times. As they insisted to know the stand of the tribal people leaders delegate led by me met the Prime Minister and other Central leaders in May and November in 1970 in Delhi.
It is worthwhile to mention that Indiraji was obsessed with the issues of language and district autonomy. We assured her that there would be no political upheaval in regard to language as English and Meiteilon can stand steadfastly as official languages of the State under Article 345 and district autonomy provided in the Sixth Schedule under Article 244(2) will be the cementing force of the integrity of the State. She announced conferment of Statehood in Parliament on the 30th September 1971 and she inaugurated on the 21st January 1972 at Palace ground.
During the President’s Rule in 1970 - 71 the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971 which was ‘cooked’ by the bureaucrats was enacted by the Parliament which is supposed to be sui generis to Manipur only. It is very unfortunate that the Act has no Constitutional protection and as such, the Autonomous district councils have no specific demand for grants in the State budget as other departments in State. It means the District Councils are bound to make approach to the State Government with begging bowl resulting in a serious irregularity in making fund available which lasts months together.
It is a tragedy also that all the six Autonomous District Councils which had been superseded on the 17th October 1988 or on the 18th March 1989 and the 24 November 1993 have not been revived. The Manipur (Hill Areas, District Councils (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2008 promulgated on the 2nd May 2008 in No. 2/20/2008-Leg/L also has ended in fiasco. Pakistan is said to be under ‘Bonsai Democracy’. Likewise, from ‘Bonsai’ district autonomy a struggle to move towards the autonomy under the sixth schedule is the better alternative. Attention, all candidates in the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency!
Source: http://www.thesangaiexpress.com
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The Constituent Assembly of the free India and the founding fathers of our Constitution gave a special attention to the interests of the Scheduled Tribes in India. Corollary to that objective, Article 244(2) was incorporated in the Constitution to confer district autonomy on the tribal areas in Assam which was substituted by the North Eastern Areas (Re-organisation Act, 1971 with effect from the 21st January 1972.
Thereby, the new State of Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram were brought under the purview of Article 244(2). Alas! Phooey! Manipur was excluded. Besides the Tribal areas, the provisions of the Fifth Schedule apply to the administration and control of the Scheduled areas in any State as provided in Article 244(1). It may be pertinent to note that region or areas inhabited by the Scheduled tribes or tribal people is tribal areas and not hills areas that is to say that land belonging to the tribal people. Hill areas is simple a connotation of geographical feature and has no political significance. On strict scrutiny the Hill areas committee constituted under the Special provision with respect to Manipur, vide Article 371-C is a misnomer or unsuitable name. The members of the Assembly elected from the Hill areas of the State is also a paradox or self-contradictory meaning as the Tribal areas committee should comprise members from the Scheduled tribe reserve seats.
After the dissolution of the Congress Ministry led by late Shri Mairembam Koiren Singh on the 16th October 1969 an All Party Statehood Demand Committee was formed and delegates met the Central leaders including Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister many times. As they insisted to know the stand of the tribal people leaders delegate led by me met the Prime Minister and other Central leaders in May and November in 1970 in Delhi.
It is worthwhile to mention that Indiraji was obsessed with the issues of language and district autonomy. We assured her that there would be no political upheaval in regard to language as English and Meiteilon can stand steadfastly as official languages of the State under Article 345 and district autonomy provided in the Sixth Schedule under Article 244(2) will be the cementing force of the integrity of the State. She announced conferment of Statehood in Parliament on the 30th September 1971 and she inaugurated on the 21st January 1972 at Palace ground.
During the President’s Rule in 1970 - 71 the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971 which was ‘cooked’ by the bureaucrats was enacted by the Parliament which is supposed to be sui generis to Manipur only. It is very unfortunate that the Act has no Constitutional protection and as such, the Autonomous district councils have no specific demand for grants in the State budget as other departments in State. It means the District Councils are bound to make approach to the State Government with begging bowl resulting in a serious irregularity in making fund available which lasts months together.
It is a tragedy also that all the six Autonomous District Councils which had been superseded on the 17th October 1988 or on the 18th March 1989 and the 24 November 1993 have not been revived. The Manipur (Hill Areas, District Councils (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2008 promulgated on the 2nd May 2008 in No. 2/20/2008-Leg/L also has ended in fiasco. Pakistan is said to be under ‘Bonsai Democracy’. Likewise, from ‘Bonsai’ district autonomy a struggle to move towards the autonomy under the sixth schedule is the better alternative. Attention, all candidates in the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency!
Source: http://www.thesangaiexpress.com
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