A seven-member delegation of the Church Leaders Forum, Sadar Hills Autonomous District Monday met with Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and urged him to fulfill the demand of the SHDDC during a two-hour long meeting at the Chief Minister’s office chamber.
The delegation also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister during the meeting which lasted from 2 pm till 4 pm. In the memorandum, the Church Leaders Forum, Sadar Hills Autonomous District expressed hope that Chief Minister would sympathetically consider and pass a sound and impartial judgment for the early implementation of the Manipur (Hills Areas) District Councils Act, 1971 in Sadar Hills district. “…..the Sadar Hills Autonomous Councils has been already in existence as a full-fledged district having its own approved boundary and villages. As per Manipur (Hills Areas) Act 1971, the district had its own chairman and other members elected,” the memorandum stated.
Justifying that the creation of Sadar Hills district was not related with a particular community, the memorandum reiterated that in the first MDC (Manipur District Council) election held in 1973, Tangkhul Naga, Liangmei Naga, Kom, and Chiru were elected and represented the council.
“If the requisite administrative staff – Deputy Commissioner as DRDA and also superintendent of police with their subordinate officers and staff are appointed and all other essential departments are all opened, the Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council would function smoothly without any encumbrances,” the Church forum put down drawing Chief Minister’s attention that all these requirements can be fulfilled under his power.
Speaking to reporters after coming out from the talk, Church Leaders Forum spokesperson Rev Dr Kim Vaiphei asserted that the Sadar Hills district has been striving ceaselessly for the conservation of communal harmony and cordial relation among all the communities and tribes through sound understanding of the priceless and immeasurable value of man.