A United Tribes Front of Manipur: The Need of the Hour

Based on the facts of how identity problems in the northeastern region have been resolved with the creation of Nagaland state, Mizoram state, Bodoland TC, Tripura Sixth Schedule, the progress these states/tribes have made without subjugation, suppression, and exploitation by any dominant community within their respective states, the tribes of Manipur have been hoping for political settlement as an outcome of various peace talks to overcome their difficulties; the Nagas under some arrangement of shared sovereignty with the risk of ending up with just BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council) type of settlement for the peripheral Naga-inhabited areas neighbouring Nagaland and the Kukis a separate UT/State but likely ending up at best with a BTC type administration. However, it is not to be forgotten or to belittle what has been currently provided in the Constitution for Hill Areas of Manipur.  This is the right of legislation given to the HAC (Hill Areas Committee) along with a system of legislation and administration for Hill Areas given by Article 371-C. This provides for a unique system where laws on Schedule Matters are to be made by the HAC in partnership with the State government for the administration of Hill Areas. No serious attempts have been made so far to implement this system of administration.

The failure to implement the unique system lies with the MLAs from Hill Areas who are unable to appreciate how the unique arrangement will work. All angles of possible obstructions and procedures to overcome them have already been laid down in the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972. If hurdles are created, there is recourse for HAC and Hill Areas CSOs to seek remedial interventions from the Governor and the President of India. There will be no occasion where there is no law for the Hill Areas on the Scheduled Matters as it is guaranteed by the system of legislation laid down by Article 371-C, including the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972. Regardless of obstructions and delaying tactics employed, the hill areas will ultimately have its own local laws on all subjects included in the Scheduled Matters. This will include empowerment of the ADCs with additional powers and functions, land laws, forest laws, laws on social customs, etc. The obstacle and opposition to the implementation of the unique system of legislation and administration for Hill Areas seem to lie in the minds of the MLAs from the Hill Areas. They do not seem to appreciate the powers and functions given by Article 371-C and its concomitant provisions for Hill Areas. Intellectuals and CSOs have a task to convince them that this system of legislation and administration for Hill Areas can work, but for it to work, they have to try.

The MLAs from Hill Areas have to free themselves from the grip of the CM. The choice of the Chairperson does not lie in the hands of the CM but in the hands of the 20 MLAs elected from the Hill Areas to select or elect a MLA from among themselves. The selection or nomination of the Chairperson of HAC is not a prerogative of the ruling party or the CM, but of the MLAs elected from the Hill Areas. If nomination by CM has been done nonchalantly in the past without much regard to the principle involved, it has to be rectified and new procedures laid down by HAC themselves since HAC is not a committee of the assembly, but a committee constituted by Article 371-C through Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972. If required, clarification on this matter can be sought from the President of India.