AIZAWL: The Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) General Headquarters, Sakawrdai Mizoram today alleged that the Mizoram government has been reluctant in implementing the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed in 1994.
The Hmar outfit then accused that the intervention of Young Mizo Association (YMA) recently in the HPC’s demand for Autonomous District Council under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, has been acting as disintegration force of the Mizos rather than unifying the community.
The HPC said that when Mizoram was given the status of Union Territory under Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Act, 1971 and North Eastern areas (Re-organisation) Act 1971, it had been deleted from Sixth Schedule Para 20, Part III since 29 April 1972.
“It no longer was Tribal Area, which will be regretted in future, and the then Mizo leaders are responsible for this. The districts of Lai, Mara and Chakma are the only districts under the Sixth Schedule. All these districts are within Mizoram, and are still administered by the ministers and government officials, and they never separated themselves from Mizoram, nor can’t they do so. Likewise, the Hmar people have simply demanded the creation of Autonomous District Council, which will but safeguard the Mizos”, the HPC stated.
The Hmar outfit then quoted the MoS between the HPC and the Mizoram Government signed in 1994 which says, “The Government of Mizoram has appreciated the concern and pressing demand of the HPC delegation particularly regarding the political safeguard as available under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
Accordingly, the government of Mizoram will take immediate measures for inclusion of an area to be specified with the HPC Demand Area of Mizoram and the other non-schedule areas of Mizoram in the schedule (Tribal) Area of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India so that the above-mentioned areas are safeguarded under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India.”
“After such long period from 1994, the Mizoram government is not fulfilling its promise, just because it doesn’t take steps to fulfill”, the HPC stated, adding that in comparison that, the Indian Government was very faithful as it fulfilled the MoS which it signed with the Mizo National Front (MNF) in 1986.
The HPC then accused the Young Mizo Association (YMA) of disintegrating the Mizos rather than uniting the the community. “The YMA is apprehensive that the creation of Autonomous District Council is threatening the Mizo integration,” the Hmar outfit added.
Meanwhile, the bandh called by scheduled caste (ST) students to protest the non-payment of post-matric scholarship 2010 – 2011 came into effect from Wednesday.
The 48 hour bandh on May 24 and 25 was earlier announced in a press meet by the secretary of the representatives of Lois and members of the post matric scholarship affected guardian committee, Mayanglangbam Manglem Singh.
It was also stated that if the government of Manipur fail to take up appropriate steps to distribute the scholarship of the scheduled caste students even after the bandh, several other forms of agitations will be taken up by the students.
It may be mentioned that several memorandum have been submitted earlier to the concerned ministers and departments by the scheduled caste students regarding the distribution of the post matric scholarship on December 13, 2011 and April 3, 2012, but there had been no response from the government of Manipur on the matter, which has led the students to speculate that the fund meant for distribution of post matric scholarship to the scheduled caste students might have been misused by the state government.
Finally an ultimatum had been submitted on May 13, 2012 stating that a 48 – hour general strike will commence from May 24 – 25 if the government of Manipur fails to distribute the post matric scholarship of the scheduled caste (ST) students by May 22. (NNN)