Guwahati: At least ten Kuki-Zo MLAs of Manipur including seven from the ruling BJP have petitioned the state's Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya to set aside a recent order issued by the Hill Areas Council (HAC) for reconstitution of the Autonomous District Councils that run administration in the Hills districts of Manipur.
They urged the Manipur Governor to favour their political demand for having a separate administration on the lines of Union Territory with the legislature.
The Manipur Legislative Assembly had recently issued an order where it is said, "...In order to run the administration of ADCs, a Committee consisting of a total of 20 members for each ADCs shall be constituted of whom 18 members shall be selected from amongst the former ADC members/experts in Local Self Govt/eminent persons/intellectuals and two Government nominees of the District as a temporary arrangement till the ADC Election is conducted."
"We, the undersigned members of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), Manipur Legislative Assembly, draw your kind attention to the recent HAC resolution relating to the Autonomous District Council, Manipur. We felt that the resolution was unconstitutional, a mockery of democratic principles, unlawful, unprecedented, arbitrary, divisive and biased.
"Further, the resolution was taken while the State's law and order situations prevent half of the HAC members from a particular community from attending the HAC Meeting and State's Assembly Sessions since the 3rd May, 2023," the petition signed by the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs said.
"The resolution, besides violating democratic ethos behind local elected bodies, also is against all norms of propriety and outside the purview of the ADC Act (s) amended till date. It is, in fact, such an atmosphere of political erraticism and bias that justify our demand for Union Territory (UT) with legislature which we hereby reiterate with growing conviction.
"We urge your kindness to find favour with our political demand, which reflects the strong political aspiration of our people and advocate for our cause which is the only viable way ahead for peaceful neighbourly existence. Further, we seek your kind and prompt intervention so that the constitution of India and the ADC Act be respected and upheld to the fullest, in public interest," the MLAs said.
The ongoing ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kukis has so far killed over 230 civilians and displaced over 65,000 people. The violence broke out on May 3 last year after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
