MANIPUR TRIBALS FORUM DELHI
Date: 15.05.2017        
PRESS RELEASE    

The Manipur Tribals' Forum, Delhi (MTFD) would like to express our appreciation to the Joint Action Committee against Anti-Tribal Bills (JACAATB) for their persistence and consistency in leading the movement against the Three Anti Tribals Bills passed by the Manipur State Assembly on the 31st Aug., 2015. The MTFD has been working closely with the JACAATB from its very inception and facilitate at various levels in the power corridors. The Government of Manipur neither invites the MTFD for the talks nor the JACAATB consulted MTFD while discussing the terms and conditions of the MOU.  MTFD is not aware under what circumstances the JACAATB is compelled to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Manipur in the presence of representative from Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India on the 10th May 2017.
We also extend our gratitude to the Government of Manipur for their initiative to solve the Imbroglio cause due to the killing of 9 tribal youths who were protesting against the three controversial Bills. Today, more than 622 days had passed and the bodies of the youths who died defending their land, who were declared by the Tribal as martyr, were awaiting for a befitting honorable burial, which in fact was promised by the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, in his public address at Churachandpur, Manipur on the 2nd March, 2017.

The MTFD, while welcoming the goodwill gesture of the Government of Manipur for taking initiative by inviting the JACTAAB for a talks, would like to express unhappiness over the demeaning and undignified MOU that does not honoured the tribal martyrs and also not mentioning for the delivery of ‘justice to the martyrs' and honorable political solution for the tribals in Manipur. Thus, the MTFD sees no reason for the honorable burial of our martyrs in the terms provided in the MoU and appeal to the Government of Manipur and JACAATB to rework for the inclusion of the same.

This is to inform all the tribals of Manipur and both the Centre and State Governments that the MTFD could not accept the terms provided in the said MoU and vouch that it will fight until ‘justice is delivered to the tribal martyrs’ and until the Government provide with constitutional safeguards to protect  the tribal land and rights.

We would like to reiterate and appeal to the Government of Manipur as well as the Union Government to seriously take into consideration regarding the problems faced by the tribals of Manipur by taking initiative for honorable burial of the martyrs and initiate steps for permanent political solution for the tribals in the line of the promised made by the Union Home Minister, Government of India.

We stand for political solution of the tribals in Manipur and justice for the tribal Martyrs.

For our rights, our land and our identity.

                         
Sd/-

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