Being Realistic is the Best Way Forward: On Crisis Faced by Tribes of Manipur

The dream that Nagas will be a nation one day is subconsciously implanted in the Naga brain. No Naga will daresay that they are against Naga Oneness. Sadly, the reality is different. The Nagas of Nagaland live in a politically stable climate of Nagas exploiting another Naga, while the Nagas of Manipur and other states are exploited by a dominant community in their respective states. Currently, the tribes in the “hill areas” of Manipur are facing relentless assault on their tribal lands. The current political situation demands that the Nagas of Manipur should seek interim relief till the dream materialises.

A severe crisis at the moment is being faced by the tribes of Manipur as the Nagas and the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic groups are both subjected relentlessly to hegemonic designs by the dominant community. Towards the goal of continuing subjugation and dominance over the tribes, the Meitei community has tactically isolated the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group by banishing them from Imphal, the capital of Manipur, and stopping their political, administrative, and judicial participation in the affairs of the state. This has been done by shrewdly exploiting the animosity between the Nagas and the Kukis, who have been at loggerheads with each other. However, a new disturbing dimension seems to be evolving.

The problem lies with the Nagas who have not been able to fathom that isolation is a double-edged sword. By banishing the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group, the tribal presence in the State Secretariat has been reduced substantially, that the checks and balances that existed earlier in the administrative circle has been neutralised. It appears from the notification dated 18th September 2025 issued by the Department of Land Resources that the dominant community has been able to smuggle their agenda of dominating the tribes and imposing their will on the “hill areas” in the guise of routine administrative measures. A deliberate vagueness and ambiguity appear to be built into the notification by not specifically excluding the “hill areas” and leaving scope for different interpretations. The absence of non-specific exclusion of “hill areas” from the applicability of the notification seems to indicate a tactical move “to test the waters” and gauge how the Nagas and the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group, separately or combine, react to the new notification. The notification has ventured into dangerous areas reminding the tribal people in “hill areas” of the Congress state government’s attempt in 2015 to pass the infamous “three bills” by extending it to the whole state of Manipur without excluding the “hill areas”, and without consulting the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) as required under Article 371-C and the Presidential notification dated 20th June 1972. Imposition of President’s rule cannot take away the rights of tribal people living in the “hill areas” or remove its applicability as far as the tribal people’s rights are concerned under Article 371-C. The HAC (Hill Areas Committee) was specifically established under Article 371-C, and is designed to carry out certain functions related to the governance of the hill areas, and hence it included the modification of rules and procedures for governance (transaction of business/procedures in the assembly and the state government) that affect the hill areas. Further, the HAC was not constituted through the ordinary legislative functions of the Manipur Assembly and it enjoys Constitutional sanctity. These facts should be respected by the President’s Rule (PR) administration.

The new evolving development under PR is disturbing for the tribes of Manipur since such an action was unexpected from an impartial administration. Something appears to have gone amiss; either appropriate advice was not rendered to the head of state government or the matter was decided hastily without proper inter-departmental consultations. The fact that many laws made by the Manipur legislative assembly, including those during UT days made by Parliament, have a provision that reads as follows - “It extends to the whole of the state of Manipur except the hill areas thereof” is a requirement dictated by need of special provision for tribal people and “hill areas” of Manipur. This is now enshrined under Article 371-C. The notification, which appears to be an ordinary administrative attempt to streamline procedures and processes, has the risk of being considered as a covert assault and disregard to the customary and traditional practises of tribal land ownership by village authorities in the “hill areas” apart from the fact that it deliberately undermines and violates Article 371-C of the Constitution. If the notification is not modified, the administration under PR faces the risk of being termed partisan, which was one of the charges against the last popularly elected state government. The notification could be viewed as anti-hill areas and anti-tribal and the PR administration could face the risk of being termed a front to carry out the agenda of the dominant community which the last state government could not implement.

President’s rule, with the assembly placed under animated suspension, is a temporary short-term measure, and if consultation with HAC is a requirement as provided under Article 371-C and the Presidential Order, even ethical norms demand that decisions on policy matters, having far-reaching ramifications, should be avoided under PR administration. If the PR administration finds it inconvenient to consult the HAC, no tearing urgency is discernible from the notification for such a decision to be taken under PR. However, the fact remains that the specific purpose of a special provision for “hill areas” of Manipur under Article 371-C and the Presidential Order needs to be upheld and respected. Such administrative measures could have been delayed for deliberation and decision by a popular government in consultation with HAC by following due processes.

People should remember that it is only the assembly that has been placed under animated suspension, and the MLAs still have their role to play. Nothing stops the MLAs from “hill areas” and hill CSOs from approaching the Governor or the concerned authority and conveying their views. The route for addressal of public grievances has not been curtailed under PR. In fact, PR is the right time to air all grievances to an impartial administration.

The developing situation about the tribes of Manipur being subjected to assaults under the state governments, elected or under President’s rule, is discussed for the tribal brethren in the northeastern states to understand the difficult circumstances faced by the tribes. Manipur has a history where state governments, dominated by the Meitei community (as they have 40 MLAs against 20 tribal MLAs from hill areas), had tried in 2015 to covertly and indirectly extend MLR&LR Act of 1960 through the infamous three bills which the assembly tried to pass within a few minutes without referring the bills to the HAC as warranted under the Presidential Order issued under Article 371-C. The helplessness of MLAs from “hill areas” in the state assembly made the tribal people in “hill areas” react in anger and compelled the state government to abandon the legislations. The last popular government tried in early 2023 to redraw the districts on the pretext of “administrative convenience” by ignoring the sanctity of “hill areas” determined under Article 371-C by the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972, but the idea was shelved by the state government after realising that it would violate Article 371-C. President’s rule administration should be sensitive to matters related to “hill areas” and tribal rights safeguarded by various Articles in the Constitution. It should not ordinarily take decisions in violation of special constitutional provisions and expose itself to the risk of being perceived by the tribes as trampling over their rights that may result in alienation of tribal land.

The relentless efforts to become ST by the Meitei community continue to haunt the tribal community in Manipur, as, admittedly, the purpose is to grab tribal lands in “hill areas”. Demands have been made by Meitei leaders for amending Article 371-C to dilute the safeguards over tribal lands in “hill areas”. The threat of extending the MLR&LR Act to the “hill areas” continues to echo, as the only safeguard that this law has to prevent tribal land alienation is the permission from the Deputy Commissioner allowing a non-tribal to buy tribal lands in “hill areas”. All these targets tribal lands in “hill areas”, and the notification dated 18th September is therefore viewed with suspicion.

Currently, the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group cannot participate in the functioning of the legislature, administration and judiciary at Imphal since May 2023. Sadly, this trend is continuing under PR administration. The banishment of the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group who represent 16% of the state’s population has reduced the tribal presence in the civil secretariat and the other wings of the state government. The Nagas who are 23 % of the state’s population has even fewer employees in the civil secretariat and other wings of the government compared to the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group. The overall reduced presence of tribal government functionaries appears to be exploited to the hilt under PR by the dominant community. It is suspected that the notification dated 18th September 2025 is a result of lack of rigorous consultation across communities and departments. The Nagas, in the context of the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Meitei community and the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group, seem to have not realised that the absence of the  Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group in various departments under the state government in Imphal have grossly tilted the balance of power in administrative consideration in favour of the dominant community and are now, along with the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group, suffering the consequences of their nonchalant attitude towards the conflict. The overwhelming one-sided bureaucratic view is fraught with the risk of being termed Meitei-centric, which is suspiciously evident from the notification dated 18th September 2025. Naga tribes have to wake up to the danger of a state secretariat overwhelmingly manned by the dominant community who are now driving their agenda even under the PR. The Nagas have to work concerted together with the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group and the governments to speed up political settlement for their return to Imphal and restore the checks and balances in the state government.

Given the aggressive hegemonic designs of the past and the continuation of the effort in a more subtle and stealthy manner now, which is not easily discernible to many people but nevertheless have the same venomous effect, is driving the tribes away from the idea of coexistence. The suspicion of partisan administration under a popular government or even under PR could get strengthened if no corrective action is taken by the state government to remove the ambiguity by excluding “hill areas” from the notification dated 18th September 2025.

It needs to be understood by Nagas living in the state of Nagaland that the tribes of Manipur are being subjected to constant and relentless threats of losing their tribal land. It is not easy to live constantly under such threats. To remove the threats of losing tribal lands to the dominant community there could be two ways forward; to demand for the Sixth Schedule for “hill areas”, thereby enabling the formalisation of laws on customary and traditional practises over land, forests, rivers etc. or, alternatively to demand for a separate administration - be it a state or UT, both of which are constitutional. The Framework Agreement is entirely a different and unique matter as it is more or less a demand outside the ambit of the Constitution. The valley districts of Manipur have the Panchayati Raj system under the Constitution and it is only right and fair that the “hill areas” should also have a local self government guaranteed under the Constitution. The tribes of Nagaland and Mizoram need to understand the dire situation faced by the tribes of Manipur and support the compulsion of seeking an interim political settlement to safeguard tribal lands from alienation in Manipur. Another day will dawn when greater goals can be sought, but right now it is best for the tribes of Manipur to be realistic and remove the threat of losing tribal lands to the dominant community. Nagas of Manipur along with the Zo (Chin, Kuki, Mizo) ethnic group brothers have suffered severely since statehood under partisan state governments. The suspicion that the current administration is perusing the hegemonic agenda of the dominant community will be revealed by subsequent actions and policy prescriptions.

The feeling of diminishing neutrality under PR perceived by the tribes needs to be dispelled urgently by issuing necessary clarifications in the interest of promoting peaceful coexistence. The two groups of tribes need to forget the past and start talking earnestly to unite and face the common threat against them for their own good, interest, and future.

Ngaranmi Shimray

New Delhi