Time for the Manipur Apex Naga Body to Take the Lead

Ngaranmi Shimray

It is indeed very sad to be witnessing absence of leadership from the apex Naga body of Manipur on many critical policy issues that has befallen on the people of the state. Bereft of their leadership, little known CSOs are uttering policy prescriptions without fully understanding the matter and without realising the implications and far reaching ramifications. The time has come for the apex Naga body to step forward and take firm control of the leadership of Nagas of Manipur on all policy matters including initiatives to restore peace in the state.

It is reported that the Federation of All Tribal Youth Clubs (FATYC) has urged the Governor to regularise homestead land in valley districts. It has submitted a memorandum to the Governor, seeking urgent intervention for the regularisation of agricultural land converted into homestead land in Imphal East, Imphal West, and surrounding valley settlements. The memorandum highlights that “despite generations of settlement and submission of required documents, thousands of residents remain unable to convert their land due to administrative delays. While lands belonging to VIPs have reportedly been regularised, common citizens face discrimination, the Federation alleged. It further pointed out that over 1,100 households—600 in Imphal East and 500 in Imphal West—have submitted applications which remain unattended by the Revenue Department.”

FATYC should not forget that Manipur consists of two distinct territories; the ‘Imphal valley’ where there is the Panchayati Raj system of local governance and the “hill areas” under Article 371-C where the autonomous district council has been given the role of local self government. The “hill areas” have been defined under “The First Schedule” of the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972 delineating the lands of the tribes in “hill areas” clearly distinguishing it from the lands of ‘Imphal valley’.

This response concerns the “lands surrounding valley settlements” mentioned by FATYC which would definitely be tribal lands falling in the “hill areas” of Manipur. Suggesting regularisation of tribal lands in “hill areas” to be regularised under the MLR&LR Act is in total violation of the Constitution and is illegal.

In respect of lands under Imphal East and Imphal West districts, it should be kept in mind that there have been instances of encroachment of the Imphal valley districts into the “hill areas”. This is evident from the fact that there are several tribal villages falling in “hill areas” as defined in “The First Schedule” of the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972 (also known as the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Order, 1972) that has been included in the gram sabha constituencies under Panchayati Raj system of ‘Imphal valley’ districts in violation of Article 371-C. These tribal villages falling in “hill areas” have always been included in the district council constituencies since the time elections to the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971 were held. The Constitution prohibits the villages falling under the “hill areas” to be included in the ‘Imphal valley’ districts as it violates Article 371-C. Redrawing of district boundaries between the valley districts and the districts falling in the “hill areas” as defined under “The First Schedule” of the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972 also violates Article 371-C. The FATYC seems to have not understood the Constitutional provisions under Article 371-C as their suggestion, especially “lands surrounding valley settlements”, amounts to bringing some villages/tribal lands of the “hill areas” under the ‘Imphal valley’ districts. This suggestion would amount to extension of the MLR&LR Act, 1960 to villages in the “hill areas” which is illegal and violates the Constitution. Extension of the land law to portions of “hill areas” has to be done by law in the state assembly in consultation with the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) as laid down in the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972.

The FATYC should understand that clear demarcation of lands between the ‘Imphal valley’ and the “hill areas” and the role and functions of the HAC listed under the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972 was the reasons why the attempt made by O. Ibobi Singh as CM in 2015 met with strong objections and failed. The Congress state government at that time had attempted in Assembly to pass the Protection of Manipur Peoples (PMP) Bill 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh amendment) Bill 2015 and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second amendment) Bill 2015, but it was objected to by the tribes of Manipur, violently the Zo (Chin-Kuki-Mizo) ethnic group, as it violated the constitutional provisions owing to lack of consultation with HAC since it envisaged to cover “hill areas”. The varied responses in terms of intensity of Manipur tribes to critical tribal issues, be it the three failed bills of the Congress state government or the Manipur High Court order regarding ST status for Meitei community that triggered the 3rd May 2023 clashes, appears to indicate that the Zo (Chin-Kuki-Mizo) ethnic groups are more alert and aware of the implications and ramifications of certain actions of the state government than the Naga tribes of Manipur.

The FATYC appears to have failed to understand that their suggestion violates Article 371-C of the Constitution as some of the lands referred to by them would fall under the “hill areas” as determined in “The First Schedule”. By suggesting regularisation of lands belonging to the “hill areas”, which would obviously be under the MLR&LR Act, would amount to extension of MLR&LR Act to portions of tribal lands in “hill areas” to districts in the ‘Imphal valley’ is in violation of Article 371-C.

It was pointed out earlier in one of my articles about policy paralysis of the Nagas and sadly this assumption seems to be a fact as far as the apex Naga body of Manipur is concerned. They have taken a backseat on all critical policy matters and are hardly heard on any pressing matters anymore. The non-action of the apex Naga body has given fringe Naga CSOs space for suggesting policy prescriptions to the state government which could, in some cases, be in collusion with vested interest groups. The time has come for the apex Naga body to lead the Naga people from the front and not allow fringe Naga CSOs to overshadow them.