MARDC resolves to boycott PR elections if no headway in autonomy demand

[Staff Reporter]

ITANAGAR, Jul 30: The Mon Autonomous Region Demand Committee (MARDC), which has called for early creation of the Mon autonomous region, comprising Tawang and West Kameng districts, has reportedly come up with an 11-point resolution which also includes a call for boycotting the panchayat elections in the two districts if no headway is made by the state and the central governments with regard to the MARDC’s demand.

According to sources, MLA Jambey Tashi will be the chairman of the MARDC in Tawang, and Dirang MLA Phurpa Tsering will be the chairman of the MARDC in West Kameng.

Tsering has also been given the task of convening a meeting of all the CBOs of West Kameng district not later than 30 August regarding the autonomy demand.

The committee has further decided to prepare a draft bill to be submitted to the Centre for consideration in the monsoon session or the winter session of Parliament, “as convenient, for the creation of the council.”

The resolution further states that a delegation of the MARDC would call on various offices in the union government, including that of the prime minister, by 15 September for appointment.

During a meeting held under the aegis of the Monpa Mimang Tsogpa on Wednesday in Tawang, the committee expressed “extreme displeasure over the inordinate delay of the government in granting the autonomous region.”

The committee has been seeking creation the autonomous region since 2003, and the state legislative assembly had passed a resolution in 2004 for its creation.