Tribal protest keeps Manipur on the boil

Imphal: Even as the Manipur government is trying hard to contain violence in Churachandpur district, AICC general secretary in-charge of Manipur V Narayanasamy on Thursday rushed to Imphal to take stock of the situation.
Last night, protesters burnt down three mobile towers in Churachandpur, a tribal dominated district. The tribals are protesting against the passing of ‘Protection of Manipur Peoples (PMP) Bill, 2015’ and two other related bills by the Manipur assembly on August 31.
The death toll in police action and arson has risen to eight with an injured agitator succumbing to his injuries at Churachandpur District Hospital on Wednesday night.
On the other hand, barring BSNL broadband, internet services continue to remain blocked in Manipur. Government officials said the ban will continue for some time as the social networking sites have been found to spread hate campaign by different sections of people.
Narayanasamy, who reached Imphal along with Vijayalaxmi Chadda, held a series of meetings about the volatile situation in Churachandpur district, a Congress stronghold.
Deputy chief minister G Gaikhangam told newsmen that the growing protest is a fall out of the wrong interpretation of the bill’s provisions. He said the three bills have not whatsoever infringed on the rights of the tribal people of the state.
Gaikhangam, who holds the home portfolio, appealed to people to remain calm. He said a team of senior government officials will visit the violence-hit areas.
Meanwhile, a public meeting was organized at Churachandpur town by the residents to discuss the three bills passed by the assembly. They felt that the bills have affected the interest of tribals. The agitators have refused to take the bodies and they are lying at the Churachandpur district hospital.
The United Naga Council, too, has joined the bandwagon. The UNC had called a 48-hour bandh in the hill districts from Thursday midnight in protest against the three bills. The UNC said the bills are anti-tribal and a direct attack to tribal communities.
The tribals argued that the Bills overlap Article 371 (C)) and Manipur Hill People Administration Regulation Act, 1947.
The bills were passed after people in the valley launched an agitation demanding implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system. Besides the PMP bill, the other two bills are ‘The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015, and ‘The Manipur Shops and establishment (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015’.