NE tribals forwarded charter of demand to WCIP

Aizawl, Aug 13: When the Centre has initiated move to negotiate with tribal militants of NE for restoration of peace and tranqulity, indigenous tribals have forwarded a charter of demands to the World Council of Indigenous People (WCIP) to pressurise the union government to end 'oppression' on them.

Association of Indigenous Rights Protection of Northeast (AIRPNE), a platform of NE's tribal intellectuals, recently raised issues of alleged sufferings of the region's tribals in the international forum followed by a long persuasion with the Centre.

The represention to the WCIP, AIRPNE emphasised on four important issues related to rights of NE tribals, including removal of military and para-military forces from civilian areas and giving more autonomy to the indigenous people.

It further demanded, deportration all foreign nationals from the NE who have come since 1951 and repeal of 'Black Laws' like Assam maintenance of public order (Autonomous District) Act of 1953, Armed forces (Special powers) regulation of 1958 and North East Armed forces special powers Act, 1972, "which are being used as repressive measures" against the indigenous tribals.

''The entry of foreigners from Bangladesh and Nepal had existed since India's independence and been more pronounced since the liberation of Bangladesh,'' Prof Sukhendu Debarmma, the chief executive of AIRPNE told sources.

''Even after 60 years of independence a regrettable feature of the Centre's negligence is that the Indo-Bangladesh border still remains to be demarcated, and to add to the problem no steps are taken to check increasing influx,'' Prof Debarmma rued.

Besides, the tribals face economic exploitations, as industries like plywood, paper and oil are merely 'fronts' to exploit the natural resources of the tribal region without benefiting or developing the region in any way.

Revealing the statistics of infiltrators in NE, Prof Debarmma said, at present 30,000 are staying in Mizoram, 1.5 lakh in Meghalaya, 23 lakhs in Asom, 1 lakh in Manipur(mostly from Nepal) and about 20 lakh in Tripura. ''Some political parties helped them to registered as Indian voters,'' he remarked.

''Let us sit together and pool-in our tribal genius to find a solution, a strategy of how to combat this colonial imperialism that force us to live as a subjected race and second-class citizens. We feel a united international platform will help one another fight for an environment of equality and justice so that our generations to come will live as free men, freely in their own land,'' he appealed.

UNI