Guwahati, Jan 11: All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) has urged the state election commission to reschedule the date of elections of the hill Assembly constituencies to any other convenient date other than a Sunday.
The students’ union, in a statement, said that the scheduling of the poll on February 27, 2022, which is a Sunday, by the state election commission, was a matter of grave concern for the tribal people and Christian community of the state.
“The tribals who constitute about 43 per cent of the state’s population, are predominantly Christian, and for Christians, Sunday is a day that is holy and sacred. It is also a day for rest and worship,” Khaiminlen Doungel, secretary, information and publicity, ATSUM, said.
“The state election commission lacks the susceptibility and the ability to appreciate the spiritual values, beliefs and practices of the Christian community of the state and such apathy towards the religious sentiment of the Christian community is in fact antagonistic,” Doungel said.
He further said that the state election commission must try to ensure participation of all eligible citizens to exercise their franchise.
However, the union said that the decision to hold the polls on a Sunday would prevent many eligible voters in the hill districts from participating in the election.