Hold ADC polls : TYCM

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jan 8 : The Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM) General Headquarters has urged the State Government to expedite the conduct of the Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections so as to 'restore' grassroot democracy.
The Council, in a statement, said that the ADC elections mandated under Section 11 and 13 of the Manipur (Hill) Areas District Councils Act, 1971 were due in 2020 but have not been conducted.
Saying that four years have lapsed without any progress, representing a significant denial of democratic rights and political suppression of local self-Government in the hill tribal areas, TYCM added that the prolonged inaction appears to be an intentional effort to weaken and demolish the framework of local self-Government.
The nonexistence of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) for the past four years has led to a loss of development opportunities for the tribal population and the abandonment of numerous beneficial schemes, it added.
These losses cannot be easily recovered/compensated for by future generations, the Council continued and maintained that the failure to conduct ADC elections constitutes a suppression of the tribal communities in hill areas. Further stating that the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) had resolved to recommend to the Government of Manipur to conduct the long-pending election to the ADCs as soon as possible, the Council maintained that a temporary committee consisting 20 members for each ADC was proposed to be formed until elections are conducted as the system of Caretaker Chairmanship was cancelled in compliance with the Gauhati High Court order dated March 15, 2024.
The Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971 does not provide for the formation of such an interim committee and the proposed measure is not only extra-legal but also a direct affront to the democratic principles underlying the ADCs, TYCM said.