The Committee for Restoration of Sinakeithei AC (CRSAC) organised a Co-ordination Meeting of all villages in Western Tangkhul region at Sinakeithei village, situated about 70 km south-west of Ukhrul district headquarters.
The coordination meeting took place after the state government failed to fulfill the wish of 42 villages in Western Tangkhul region for a seperate assembly constituency since the last 13 years.
It may be mentioned that the 4th Delimitation Committee had proposed for creation of fourth assembly constituency in the district based on 2001 Census in the name of Sinakeithei Assembly Constituency back in 2007.
The coordination meeting attended by representatives from around 36 villages including those from the peripheral foothills, unanimously resolved to support creation of the proposed fourth assembly constituency in the district. The meeting, along with endorsing joint efforts to pursue the objective, has asked all constituent villages to refrain from any activities detrimental to the interest of the region.
“Today, we are organising a coordination meeting for the purpose of reaching a consensus on the proposed Sinakeithei AC. During the time of former MP Charanamei, 4th Delimitation Committee had proposed for creation of a new assembly constituency for all the 42 villages in the region, including 13 Kuki villages. We are thankful to the villages for their positive response,” said CRSAC Convenor K Phungmi in an interaction with media persons on the margin of the coordination meet.
Talking to Ukhrul Times, committee members Worthington Mahung and Woreingam Angkang highlighted the unending plights of the region, stating that deprivation of assembly constituency of its own, has resulted in prolonged neglect and backwardness of the region.
Mahung said that 4th Delimitation Commission made the proposal considering the fact that the compact western region fulfills the population criteria and geographical considerations for creation of the fourth AC.
“We have been waiting for such a long period to get the region united politically. But it is a sorry state of affairs that the state government has failed to initiate any necessary steps towards fulfilling the proposal till date,” he rued.
In the same vein, Angkang recalled that former MP Mani Charanamei who was then an associate member of the Delimitation Commission, had written in the proposal letter dated August 5, 2007 (No. 282/MR/2007) that “the allegation of unholy haste and the threat of dire consequences are baseless, ridiculous and uncalled for. It is highly unbecoming of responsible public representatives to cast such allegations and threat against the Constitutional Commission.”
“But despite this strong recommendation by the committee, then CM Ibobi misguided the Centre which then added Section10-A to Delimitation Act 2002 on 14 January 2008,” he pointed out, lamenting that this had led to deferment of delimitation exercise in Manipur, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh through the President’s order on 8 February, 2008.
He further recounted that the Section10 had stated: “If the President is satisfied that a situation has arisen whereby the unity and integrity of India is threatened or there is a serious threat to the peace and public order, he may, by order, defer the delimitation exercise in a state.
“There was no law and order situation and the deferment was all played out by the then state government only to deprive the district of its fourth AC proposed by the committee,” Angkang contended.
Village chiefs, chairmen, secretaries, women representatives, youth leaders and elders from the western region attended the meet.