Concern over deletion of Gangte tribe from ST list in Mizoram

A Manipur based Gangte Students’ Organisation (GSO) on Thursday expressed concern over the deletion of the ‘Gangte’ tribe from Mizoram’s Scheduled Tribes list.

A statement issued by the organization said confusion was heightened when the Gangte tribe hitherto included under ‘Any Kuki tribe’ of the Schedules Tribe list 1950 and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Lists (Modification) Order, 1956 was allegedly deleted from Mizoram’s tribe list as contended by the State Government following a resolution passed in the state Legislature in March 2011.

It said that the Gangte tribe having their own distinct social, cultural and ethnic identity, which have been maintained and preserved from time immemorial, have been recognized as distinct tribe in Manipur and elsewhere in the country.
The students’ body, headquartered in Manipur’s Churachandpur claimed that Gangte is a distinct ethnological tribe to denote a cohesive group of people who have a rich cultural heritage with a separate language of their own.
“Like other cognate tribes, the Gangte tribe, by virtue of being a Gangte first, has the freewill to choose Mizo or Kuki or Chin as a generic name for their ‘national entity. However, choosing any of Kuki/Chin/Mizo as their generic name/nomenclature does not warrant the ‘merger’ of Gangte tribe per se into that particular group or entity,” the statement issued by the organization president S. Paulallien Gangte said.
Upholding its stand for maintenance and preservation of Gangte as a distinct tribe, the student organisation said no individuals or organizations other than the Gangte apex bodies such as the Gangte Tribe Union (GTU), Gangte Youth Organisation (GYO), and Gangte Students’ Organisation (GSO) have the mandate to speak or act for and on behalf of the Gangte tribe.
It further appealed to all concerned to consult the Gangte associations on matter concerning the Gangte tribe and said that any decision arrived at concerning the tribe without the knowledge and consent of the associations will stand null and void.
In March 2011, the Mizoram Assembly had adopted a resolution recommending the Gangte tribe, which hitherto came under ‘Any Kuki tribes’ to be placed under ‘Mizo tribe’ of the Mizoram scheduled tribe list along with renaming of Zo ethnic tribe-Pawi into ‘Lai’.

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Kuki Students’ Organisation, Delhi meet 2010

New Delhi, Sept. 20: The Kuki Students’ Organisation, Delhi XXIII Freshers’ cum Social Meet 2010 will be held on September 25, 2010 at MTNL Hall, RK Puram Sector-VI at 11AM sharp. Pu CS Thanga, Social Worker, Pu Philip Thanglenmang Zou and Pu Kuonthang Touthang has consented to grace the program as chief guest, guest of hounor and functional president respectively.
Kuki Students’ Organisation, Delhi Branch
XXIII FRESHERS’ cum SOCIAL MEET 2010
Chief Guest : CS Thang’a
Guest of Honour : Philip Thanglenmang Zou
Functional President : Pa Konthang Touthang
Date : 25th September 2010
Time : 11 …

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Repeal law giving army special powers: Activists

New Delhi, Aug 23 : Students and civil rights groups Saturday protested in the national capital to demand the repeal of a law that grants the military special powers, including legal immunity, during operations in country's troubled areas.

A day after Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that changes proposed by his ministry in the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act could be implemented after consultations with all concerned, the activists said there should be no sucj law.

"The people from Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Mizoram and other states where AFSPA is there, don't want changes in the law, but we are clearly asking for the repeal of AFSPA," said Sucheta De, secretary of students' body All India Students Association (AISA).

The protestors also cited various instances of human rights violations in the name of the special powers given to armed forces.

G.N. Saibaba, an assistant professor at Delhi University and vice president of the Revolutionary Democratic Front of India, branded armed forces in a few states with AFSPA as "killers" and said they should not be given charge in sensitive areas of the country.

According to Nandini Sundar of Delhi School of Economics, "The government claims that areas like Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Mizoram and Jharkhand are peaceful because of the army. The truth is that years of oppression have silenced the voice of democracy."

The act is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir.

 
 

AASU rally over Assam Accord

GUWAHATI, Aug 10 – Members of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) today staged demonstration in all the district headquarters of the State in protest against the failure of the Government to implement the Assam Accord even after 25 years of inking it. The AASU members also demanded continuation of the implementation of the NRC updating pilot projects , constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of Assam, abandoning of the proposed mega dam projects, treating Assam’s flood and erosion as national problems and steps to protect Majuli river island.

The AASU members sent memorandum to the Prime Minister through the respective Deputy Commissioners on the above issues.

However, in Tezpur and Dhemaji, the AASU members had to send their memorandum directly to the Prime Minister in the face of refusal of the respective Deputy Commissioners to accept those, said the AASU in a Press release.

Our Nalbari Correspondent adds: Two massive protest rallies against the State government decision to suspend the work of NRC update besides others were taken out here today.

In the first protest rally about five thousand people under the banner of Nalbari district unit of AASU staged a Satyagraha before the Nalbari Deputy Commissioner’s office. Similarly, the Nalbari district unit of AJYCP also took out a torch light procession this evening in support of the same demands.

 
 

AASU warns against NRC form change

GUWAHATI, July 28 – Firing a salvo at the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi-led government for “letting the AAMSU find a scope to legalize the status of illegal migrants who came to Assam after 1971,” the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) today warned of a movement, in case the NRC form is changed to suit the purpose of illegal Bangladeshis.

The AASU also demanded the State government to start the NRC update work at the earliest possible time, failing which it would have to face the wrath of people of the State.

Addressing a press meet here, the AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said that the government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma’s statement mentioning about some flaws in the NRC form is totally unacceptable.

“The State government’s move to ‘simplify’ the form to make it comprehensible for the common people, is unnecessary as the form, in its current structure, is very simple, transparent and fit for updating the NRC. We warn the State government not to do politics on the issue of NRC form and start updating the citizens’ register as per the Assam Accord,” he mentioned.

Criticizing both the AAMSU and the State government for the Barpeta incident and its aftermath, Bhattacharya said that suspending the work due to an ‘undemocratic protest’ by the minority students’ body the government is encouraging the AAMSU to communalize the whole issue. “The incident took place at Barpeta, but the pilot project was also stopped in Chhayagaon, which also shows that the government is acting as the benefactor of the illegal Bangladshis,” he mentioned.

“It was the responsibility of the State government to explain about the NRC and its minuets to the common people in a simple manner, rather than suggesting a change in the form itself,” he added.

The students’ body also asked the Opposition not to start the vote bank politics by speaking in favour of the illegal Bangladeshis. “We would not allow the State government or any other political party or organization to communalize the issue of NRC update in Assam,” said the AASU president Shankar Prasad Roy.

 
 

Students protest against kidnapping in Imphal

Hundreds of students carried out a rally at Lamlai in Imphal east district demanding unconditional release of their colleague who was taken captivity by allegedly KCP group in place his father who is a close associate of state health minister.
Nineteen year old Yumnam Manaobi, a student of Birmangol College, Swambung in Imphal east district was kidnapped by armed cadres of KCP (MTF)-City Meetei group on the night of July 19 when his father Megha was not at home.
Later, the group reportedly demanded Rs 10 crore from the state health minister as well as contract work at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and a job quota in the recruitment of doctors to the institute.Students from various schools located in and around Lamlai area took part in the rally.
Further Health and Family Welfare minister, Ph Parijat anguished over the kidnapping of his worker’s son said that kidnapping of people demanding contract works, quotas in job appointments and money was not the work to be done by true revolutionaries and that they were gangs, not revolutionary. Meanwhile, bus service on the inter-district Imphal-Churachandpur road had been suspended from Friday owing to KCP threat for not meeting their extortion demand of Rs 50, 000 from the bus owners. Drivers of the buses also staged a sit-in protest at Bishnupur Bazar, report stated. When contacted by this correspondent, a driver said that they were threatened of dare consequences if they continue their service without meeting the demand.
(Correspondent)
The demand served by them is above various underground groups both hills and valley based active on this route, he added.
Further, scribes in Churachandpur district of Manipur resumed duty Friday after two days of cease work following militant group, Hmar People Convention (Democratic)-HPC (D) offered apology to the scribes for their alleged misconduct towards their colleague.
Newspapers failed to hit for two consecutive days due to the cease-work strike in Churachandpur and for a day Friday in Imphal as scribes staged sit-in protest in Churachandpur district headquarters and Imphal yesterday.
In Imphal, newspapers failed to hit as scribes cease work for a day yesterday and staged sit-in protest at Keishampat in Imphal. They also resumed duty from today.
With the militant outfit under ceasefire trust with government forces apologized and withdrawn threat posed to the Imphal Correspondent of Sangai Express daily, the two day old indefinite cease work strike of the scribes suspended from today, scribes in the district informed.
They have resumed their duty today, scribes said adding publication of newspapers will resume from tomorrow.

 
 

'Delhi suppresses fundamental right in state'

Imphal, July 12 : The Manipur Students' Association, New Delhi is organising a programme "Indian State's War Game" in solidarity to the struggle for the democratic rights of the people of Manipur.

MSAD considers that while the Indian State's war game in Manipur is semi-colonial in character, the overarching neo-liberal exploitative regime has been carrying out various forms of repression, oppression and exploitation in other parts of the Indian sub-continent, an e-mail statement of the association said.

"This character is dominantly visible in Manipur, some other Northeastern regions, Kashmir and tribal areas where there is a visible collaboration between rulers, military or paramilitary forces and MNCs," it observed stressing the need for struggle for the democratic rights of the people of the state and to understand the situation and work in unity with other democratic forces towards the final victory of people's democracy.

Inviting all to participate in the meeting and express their views showing solidarity to the people's democratic movement against assault on democratic rights, MSAD said that repeal the law that is responsible for killing of civilians with impunity.

"This is the unceasing cry.

This is our demand.

This is the most fundamental democratic demand that remains under suppression ever since the Indian state had established control over Manipur in October 1949.In December 1950, Comrade Irabot had condemned, "the Government of Nehru is a Fascist Government." On 6 March Chanu Rose of Ngaprum Khullen had committed suicide after she was raped by BSF personnel," the MSAD said.

Since November 2000, it added Irom Chanu Sharmila has been on hunger strike in protest against AFSPA.

On 4 October 2003 Nandeibam Sanjita of Jiri committed suicide after she was raped by the paramilitary force.

On 15 July 2004 about a dozen of women in protest against custodial rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama had stripped themselves and demanded, "Indian Army Rape Us", "Indian Army Take Our Flesh".

On 15 August 2004 Pebam Chittranjan self-immolated in protest against state terrorism.

As the movement for defending human rights against the backdrop of escalating assault on democratic rights continues; we, today, raise a simple question – why allow the armed forces to kill people with impunity, it asked.

AFSPA that allows the Indian armed personnel to kill people with impunity may come & go, the MSAD considered reminding the condition of state terrorism that kills and torture people will continue under an exploitative bourgeois democracy that operates with the support of suppressive machineries.

"The rulers may try to cover up their exploitative material objective; but, we, the victim of subjugation and oppression certainly feel the pain and trauma of their selfish war game.

For all these reasons and based on our experience, we no longer see AFSPA in a box of its own," the MSAD added.

Although AFSPA (sic.

state terrorism) stands out as open assault directly keeping under suppression the right to life & freedom we are aware that it constitute an element of an overall war game that is being waged upon the people.

The war game involves series of criss-crossing and reinforcing tactics that only perpetuate subjugation and oppression.