Newmai News Service
Imphal, April 13: Speakers at the 'national seminar cum symposium on Autonomous District Councils gave a varied views on the issue.
The occasion organised has been by All India Tribal Students' Association, Delhi at G.M Hall in Imphal on Tuesday.
The speakers of the seminar include Aja editor Valley Rose Hungyo, ex-MLAs C Dongel and N Sonchinkhup and many others.
Valley Rose advocated to have elected councillors in the six autonomous district councils of Manipur but said that the present Act of the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council, 2008 contains no autonomy.
She strongly voiced that since there is no real autonomy in the Act the six ADCs will continue to be subjected to take the consent of the state government or 'others' while implementing things. Valley Rose then heaped blames on the tribal MLAs for all the farce created. Valley Rose also advocated for the reservation of women in the ADCs.
On the other hand, C. Dongel said that since its been over 20 years that the polls to the ADCs had not been held, its a welcoming development to conduct polls. He drives home his point by saying whatever loopholes the Act may have, these can be always rectified after the elections to the ADCs are done. "Perhaps, we will have better push once the elections are done as we will have members to create situation to amend the Act again," said C Doungel.
Tribals seminar favour ADC polls but also real autonomy for ADCs
