TSA backs Sadar Hills demand

IMPHAL, Nov 20 : Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) has extended its full support to the demand for granting district status to Sadar Hills being spearheaded by the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee.
Announcing this during a press conference at Motbung today, president of TSA General Headquarters H Marcel Lhouvum observed that the more than 30 years old demand for upgrading Sadar Hills to a full-fledged revenue district is not in the interest of any particular community, but in the interest of all the communities living in Sadar Hills area as well as for betterment of the adminis- tration.
Over the last 30 years, various agitations including bandh, blockade, etc, have been launched and atleast two lives have been claimed while many others lodged in jail over and above signing a number of memorandum of understanding (MoU). Now, we want to know why the genuine demand of the people of Sadar Hills is being sidelined by the Government, Marcel said.
Taking strong exception to the attempt being made by the machineries of the Government to arrest some of the functionaries of the Demand Committee and the student body, Marcel categorically stated that such crackdowns would not dishearten them.
Vice president of TSA Thangboi Haokip, who was also present during the press conference, pointed out that names of people who are not real voters or are not residing in the villages have been detected in the electoral list of Sadar Hills.
This is injustice, he said, while drawing the attention of the authority concerned for making necessary rectification at the earliest possible.
He also warned that TSA would not remain quite in case the authority concerned fails to do the needful in this regard.
Justifying the demands of the All Manipur Hill District Contract Basis Teachers Association for payment of their pending salaries and extension of service till December this year, Haokip said Thadou Students’ Association would also be extending full support to the ongoing agitation of the Association.
Demanding the Government to implement the MoU signed with TSA last month to the effect of filling up vacant posts of teachers and providing requisite infrastructures in the schools of Sadar Hills area, Haokip said in the event of failure on the part of the Government to keep its promise, TSA would consider the MoU as only a piece of paper and resort to intense various agitations. The Government should be held responsible for any eventuality, he added.
[TSE Nov.21 2007]