Correspondent
IMPHAL, March 28
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]anipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh today reacted to his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio’s remark on discriminating tribals and minorities without naming any party or individual.
Ibobi was speaking during the formal flag hoisting ceremony of the sitting congress MP Thangso Baite who is seeking re-election on Congress ticket from Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency at the candidate’s Hmar Veng residence in the hill town, about 65 km south of Imphal, today.The Chief Minister called upon the public to vote in favour of the Congress party and defeat the parties which play communal politics. However, he did not name any party or any individual in brief speech.
He also called upon the masses to vote for Thangso Baite and elect him as people’s representative.
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaikhangam and six Congress MLAs and many autonomous district council members also attended the day’s flag hoisting ceremony.
In his address, Gaikhangam also rejected Rio’s statement saying Congress government in Manipur is providing more funds to hill areas in order to have equal development in the state. So there is no question of discriminating the minorities and tribals in the hills, he stated.
It may be mentioned that Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio in the campaign for NPF candidate Soso Lorho at Senapati district on March 26 accused Ibobi ministry of discriminating against the people in the hills while taking up development programmes.
Tribal chiefs call
12-hr bandh
The ATCFM has called for a 12-hour bandh in Manipur hill districts on April 3 next.
The decision was taken during a consultative meeting of All Tribal Chiefs’ Forum, Manipur at Hotel Imphal on March 24, according to sources.
The meeting has also unanimously resolved to oppose Congress candidates of both Inner and Outer Manipur parliamentary constituencies in the upcoming 16th Lok Sabha Elections 2014 which is scheduled to be held on April 9 and 17.
The bandh was initiated on nine reasons among which included failure to allot whole MGNREGS funds to concerned village authorities and for withholding financial powers from the Autonomous District Councils despite of existing Act that states otherwise.
The Forum, in a release, also highlighted government’s non-acceptance to transfer tribal land records from valley districts to concerned deputy commissioners of the hill districts. In addition, the inclusion of tribal villages of hill districts under valley police station within their jurisdiction was poorly received by the tribal body as it reportedly caused inconveniences and suffering to tribals.
Medical, education, fire service and religious matter have been exempted from the purview of the dawn to dusk bandh in hill districts.
