All Tribal Rights Protection Forum Manipur (ATRFM) is threatening to block the state’s lifeline national highways if the government of Manipur do not replace the non-tribal director with a tribal to head the Tribal Affairs & Hills department, TS & Hills by 22^nd July.

The ATRFM had been demanding the revocation of the government of Manipur order, dated 8 July 2019, issued by the Chief Secretary (DP), that transferred and posted a non-tribal as a director in Tribal Affairs and Hills Department. The forum in an ultimatum served to the government also demanded to transfer out the Muslim LDC, serving in the engineering section of TA & Hills.

Justifying its demands, the forum highlighted that TA & Hills department is responsible for many subordinate departments like Manipur Tribal Development Corporation, Tribal Research Institute and the six Autonomous District Councils of Manipur with the Director of the department being an Ex-officio member of the Manipur State Commission.

All these dictate that the post of the Director of TA & Hills should be held by a tribal person, who it argues will be well verse with the tribal custom, culture, and identities. The ATRFM also indirectly argue that a non-director director will not be as sensitize about tribal rights and tribe rivalries, hence likely to create more tension among the tribal communities of the state.

 The ATRFM pitched for reversing the transfer order of the previous director, arguing in his favour, saying that the previous director had just served the department for about a year and few months and should be given time to complete incomplete projects.

To add more punch to its arguments, the Forum asserted that frequent transfer and posting of the director of TA & Hills has hampered the smooth functioning of the department

The 24-hours national highway blockade will come effective from 23^rd July midnight, ATRFM  stated.