Guwahati, July 21 2010: The United Manipuri Association Assam (UMAA) has submitted a memorandum to Assam chief minister Turun Gogoi for a Manipuri Autonomous Development Council for Manipuri community of Assam.
Disclosing this in a press conference here at Guwahati Press Club today, UMAA chief adviser Mr Jeten Sinha expressed deep regret that most of the indigenous minority communities of Assam have got their own separate administrative authority in the last few years during Gogoi's tenure as chief minister but Manipuri people of Assam living in various parts of the State with a population of about 8 lakh have not been enjoying such facilities.
UMAA chief said Manipuris in Assam scattered in Cachar, Hailakandi, Karimganj, Nagoan, Karbianglong, Kamrup, Sibsagar, etc.
for a long pretty period of time sacrificing for the cause of Assam.
"We are reserved in the OBC category in both the state and national basis," Sinha said adding that initially this category was working partially before inclusion of other greater communities.
He further contended that almost 50% of the state population is under OBC category at present which is completely unjustified looking at the facilities available.
The employment in the public and private sectors are also very poor except the few teachers who are working in the Manipuri medium syllabi, the UMAA chief stated.
Fresh influx of foreigners from neighboring country and migration from the neighboring states are not only fast changing demography of the state but also threatening the socio-economic condition of the community, he further explained.
He also disclosed that the economically backward Manipuri students are basically studying in the low cost general lines where there is no employment opportunity in the present environment.
Manipuris live in laks in and around Guwahati city alone while thousands scattered in various parts of the state as permanent residents of the state.
* The sender (Oken Jeet Sandham) of this news can be contacted at oken_jeet(at)yahoo(dot)com .