Tribal Seeks to Protect Their Lands: Current Tribal Issues in Manipur

~ BRUCE K. THANGKHAL

LAMKA, April 9, 2011 — The Manipur Chief Minister now has something serious to reckon with. In a significant move, a one-day awareness programme on ‘Current Tribal Issues in Manipur’ was jointly organised by the Committee on Protection of Tribal Areas, Manipur (CoPTAM) and the United Chief Council, Churachandpur (UCC), in association with the Churachandpur District Students’ Union (CDSU), on April 9, 2011, at Synod Hall in Lamka, Churachandpur.

The resource persons and their presentations were as follows: Mr. R. Sanga spoke on the Proposed Manipur (Village Authority in Hill Areas) 2nd Amendment Act, 2011; Prof. Laldena discussed the Proposed Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council, 4th Amendment Act, 2011; and Dr. Tualchin Neihsial addressed the topic Tribal Land Protection in Manipur: What Next?

According to an insider, the seminar proved to be a real eye-opener, especially for the village chiefs—many of whom have limited formal education. The session reportedly provided valuable insights into tribal rights and related legal-political issues.

The seminar was attended by a wide array of stakeholders including tribal chiefs, leaders, intellectuals, church leaders, student representatives, social workers, civil society organisations, and elected members of the Autonomous District Council (ADC), Churachandpur. The gathering strongly voiced its concerns and adopted a historic declaration that is likely to send a strong message to Chief Minister Ibobi Singh and his party leadership.

 The declaration is reproduced here:

 

D E C L A R A T I O N
 
This august gathering of Tribal Chiefs, Tribal Leaders, Intellectuals, Church Leaders, Student Union/Association Leaders, Social Workers, Civil Society Organisations, and representative of elected Council Member, ADC Churachandpur on this Day, the Ninth April Two Thousand and Eleven Anno Domino at Synod Hall, Lamka have detail deliberation on the Proposed:-
(i)                 Manipur (Village Authority in Hill Areas), 2^nd Amendment Act, 2011.
(ii)               Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council, 4^th Amendment, Act, 2011. and
(iii)             Issues on Tribal Land Protection.
 
AND unanimously CONCLUDED that,
(i)                 the proposed Manipur (Village Authority in Hill Areas), 2^nd Amendment Act, 2011 posed direct threat to the existing traditional tribal Chieftainship institution and tribal right over land. It is premature to abolished Chieftainship without giving Constitutional safeguard to the traditional institution.
(ii)               the proposed  Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council, 4^th Amendment, Act, 2011 failed to address the core issue of giving legislative, judiciary and financial power to the Autonomous District Council. The ADC will still be devoid of true autonomy.
 
AND therefore unanimously DECIDED to OPPOSE, in toto,
the proposed Manipur (Village Authority in Hill Areas), 2^nd Amendment Act, 2011 and Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council, 4^th Amendment, Act, 2011.
 
AND unanimously RESOLVED that,
the Government should rather provide Statutory Constitutional Protection to Tribal land, culture, customs, values and traditional institutions such as Chieftainship rather than piecemeal Amendments.
(i)                 the Government should speed up the process of Political Dialogue with various tribal armed Organisations, who had chosen peaceful means to arrive at a durable, honourable, and mutually beneficial resolution to the age-old tribal grievances.
(ii)               the Government should address core tribal issue to arrive at a permanent solution rather than making piecemeal attempts.
(iii)             all Tribes should join hands together to fight for protection of tribal rights without giving communal colour to the struggle.
(iv)             all elected tribal Representatives (MDC, MLA & MP) are requested to stand united and take up current tribal issues on TOP Priority basis.
(v)               CoPTAM and UCC should continue to educate the public on the alarming threats; voiced explicitly our displeasure to the Government and adopt any forms of petition, prayer, and protest, if and when necessary.
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