Imphal, December 07 2012: A two-day mega Manipur tribal seminar under the theme ‘Civilization Along with Our Tribal Traditional and Cultural Ethos’ and jointly organised by All Manipur Tribal Union, Tribal Land Rights Committee (Chandel), Committee on Protection of Tribal Areas Manipur, All Tribal Chiefs’ Forum and All Tribal Women’s Organisation got underway at Tribal Research institute, chingmeirong today.
As resource persons of the panel discussion Prof Gangmumei Kamei spoke on ‘Hill Areas Committee’, MCS (Retd) Somi Keishing on ‘Land Revenue/Demarcation/Boundary’, Coptam consultant K Vungzamawi on ‘Autonomy in Hill districts of Manipur’, former Minister DP Panmei on ‘Manipur Service Reservation Act 1976′ and former MP BD Behring on ‘Functioning of Hill District Offices’ .
Earlier, presenting the keynote address, the seminar’s steering committee convenor Romeo Bungdon defined culture as a day to day behavioural nature whether socially negative or positive or educational civilization which are normally adapted socially by a community or a group of people.
Highlighting that behavioural mode may change according to time or influenced by social environment including food habits and dress codes, he nevertheless emphasised that every community need to uphold their respective traditional cultures and customs.
Further stating that tradition specifies social phenomenal stage wherein well refined cultural and customary norms are sanctified and upheld for passing on from generation to generation, Romeo affirmed that tradition can never be altered or modified as the process is an inheritance from the advent of civilization of the respective community.
Conveying to the gathering that the seminar is very much relation with the prevailing socio-economic status of the tribal people, he said issues pertaining to pitiable condition of the tribal people as a fallout of alleged insincerity of the Government of Manipur in providing/implementing tribal provisions would be discussed thoroughly during the two day programme.
The convenor also exuded confidence that opinions and suggestions by resource persons would bring positive changes for the tribal society.
Source: The Sangai Express
‘Art 3719 (C) provisions ineffective in state due to govt insincerity’
IMPHAL, December 7: A two day Tribal Seminar on the theme “Civilization along with our tribal traditional and cultural ethos” was inaugurated today at the Tribal Research Institute.
The seminar has been organized by the Steering Committee on Mega Manipur Tribal, Seminar (AMTU, TLRCC, COPTAM, TNAL, ATCFM and ATWO).
In his key-note address, steering committee, convenor, Romeo Bungdon said, “… human civilization is very keenly relevant to tradition, custom and culture based on such achievements in the field of education, invention, discovery socio-economic and socio political affairs.”
He further expressed, “The tribal people of the state are economically downtrodden, socially feeble and politically conjured/tricked due to insincerity of the state government in implementing tribal provisions”.
He lamented further that the insincerity of the state government is the reason why the constitutional provisions under Article 3719 (c) is less effective to bring about tribal development as well as safe guarding the tribal interest.
He said, “The seminar has been organized to disseminate awareness so as to incarnate or formulate a mechanism in tribal unison to retireve back the diminishing constitutional privileges as prompted.
COPTAM chairman, Letpu Haokip demanded transfer of hill land records from the adjoining valley districts to their respective hill district headquarters and maintenance of land records by the respective Autonomous District Council to check any overlapping of villages in both valley and hill districts.
He further demanded the state government to ensure that the original district boundary is restored and maintained on the basis of the villages’ land boundary recognised and recorded in the Manipur State Hill Peoples’ (Administration) Regulation, 1947.
The fact that some pockets of the hill areas of Manipur are ‘surveyed land’ is never a valid argument for transferring the said villages/areas to valley district or converted them into a Revenue district.
He also continued on several issues.
Citing that the proposed Manipur (Village Authority in Hill Areas), 2nd Amendment Act, 2011 posed a direct threat to the existing traditional tribal chieftainship institution and tribal right over land and premature to abolished chieftainship without giving constitutional safeguard to the tradition institution and that the proposed Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council, 4th Amendment Act, 2011 has failed to address the core issue of giving legislative, judiciary and financial power to the ADC, he said, the CoPTAM opposes in toto both the Acts.
Other demands include, “Any parts of hill districts which have been included in the Municipality/Panchayati Raj sould be totally withdrawn immediately as it contradict the Manipur Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 and is also without the consent and approval of the Hill Area Committee and that there should not be Municipality/Panchayat election in the hill districts.
The CoPTAM chairman also placed demands regarding police boundary of hill villages and said more police stations and outpost should be created within the hill areas instead of mixing it up with the general district administration.
He continued that the CopTAM is constraint to demand extension of appropriate constitutional safeguards as enshrined in the Indian Constitution to the tribals of the state.
Meanwhile, Professor Gangmumei Kamei speaking on the topic ‘Hill Area Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly: An Assesment”, said that a rapid appraisal of the working of the Hill Area Committee during the last 40 years has unfortunately shown that it has failed to act as an effective committee, to protect the interest of the hill people.
~ Imphal Free Press
