Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum | Press Release

Office of the

OUTER MANIPUR TRIBALS’ FORUM

(An apex body of the Tribal Civil Organisation in Manipur)

--------------------

Press Release

July 11, 2016

The Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum (OMTF) in its august meeting held on the 11th July, 2016 at Imphal conveys its heartfelt gratitude to the Hon’ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee and the Government of India for exercising their wisdom in withholding infamous and anti-tribal bill, viz., the Protection of Manipur Peoples Bill, 2015 passed by the communal Manipur Legislative Assembly on the 31st August, 2015.

The continued discrimination and marginalization of the tribals in Manipur has entered a new phase with the passing of the 3 (three) Anti-Tribal Bills on the 31st August, 2015, which intended to finally exclude them from the citizenship of Manipur State particularly and of India in general. To resist such systematic designs of the State for institutional exclusion of the tribals, the various apex civil organizations of the hill tribes formed the Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum (OMTF).

The Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum (OMTF) recognizes and expresses its appreciation for the initiatives taken by the Joint Action Committee Against the Anti-Tribal Bills (JAC-AATB) and the Manipur Tribals’ Forum, Delhi (MTF-D) in spearheading a movement of Manipur tribals against the State’s encroachment of the tribals’ Land, Rights and Identity. 

It has also taking cognizance of the fact that the Tribal MLAs who fails to protect/defend or resign from membership no longer represented and enjoyed the mandate of Tribal peoples, as it has been manifested since the passing of the Three Anti-Tribals Bills. As a consequent upon which the JAC, Churachandpur and various tribal organizations have boycotted them for they could not carry out their responsibilities as peoples’ representative both inside and outside the Manipur Legislative Assembly and accordingly the OMTF endorsed the boycott.

In view of the above stated facts, the Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum (OMTF) unanimously resolved and made this declaration that:

If any Bill, which is detrimental to the Hill Areas and its peoples, be introduced and passed in the communal Manipur State Legislative Assembly the Tribal Peoples of Manipur shall never accept under any circumstances and it will be considered as further insult and challenge to the tribal peoples.

And, since the 9 (Nine) Tribal Martyrs are still lying in the Mortuary, District Hospital, Churachandpur, HQs and the Government of Manipur has been pressing to the Government of India for President’s assent on the two Bills, viz., Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015 and Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015.

Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum strongly appeals to all the tribal peoples to remain alert and not to be misguided by the vested interest persons.

Any individual, representative, Association or Organization who defy this declaration shall be treated as betrayal and also be held responsible at his/her own risk.

(GAIDON KAMEI)
Chairman

(K.G. TUNGNUNG)
Secretary