IMPHAL, JUN 17 : National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC) has urged the Manipur government to ensure security for tribals residing in the hill districts and to take up steps to improve the education and living conditions of the people. A delegation of the NCSC arrived in the state capital for three days tour in the state and left Imphal Tuesday. During their stay in the capital, apart from visiting tribal villages in Tamenglong district, the team also reviewed various schemes and projects taken up by the Manipur government specially schemes for the welfare and development of the tribal people in the state.
After hearing grievances of the tribal people related by the leaders of various tribal based civil organizations and undergoing on spot visit of the living conditions of the tribals in the state, the delegation held meeting with the top officials of the state government including the chief secretary on Monday.
In the meeting, state police chief Y Joykumar briefed on steps taken up by the police department for the security of the tribal people. He informed that the police department had started deploying state arm security forces in hill areas as apart of replacing the Central forces deployed in the hill areas.
He convinced the commission that steps have been taken to give a sense of security and for protection of rights of the tribal people.
It is pertinent to mention here that state government has recently started deploying state armed security forces at the district headquarters of Ukhrul and Senapati by detailing a company of police commandos at Ukhrul and another company of IRB at Senapati.
Various tribal bodies including the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) had strongly opposed the move stating that instead of protecting the rights of the people by the deployment these forces, it will rather increase insecurity among the tribal people.
The NCSC team also called upon the state chief minister O Ibobi and representatives of the tribal people in the Manipur legislative Assembly.
Source said that the delegation came to the state to oversee the social, educational, cultural, service and political safeguards. The team also reviewed policies of the state government with regard to functioning of village authority and autonomous district councils.