Strong Objection to Illegal Resettlement of Non-ST Meiteis in Scheduled Hill Areas

P R E S S   N O T E

Strong Objection to Illegal Resettlement of Non-Scheduled Tribe Meiteis in the Scheduled Hill Areas of Manipur

Manipulation of Tribal Land Records Must Stop Immediately

Date: 27th November 2025

Issued by: COPTAM (KH)

The COPTAM (KH) express their strong and unequivocal objection to the illegal resettlement of Non-Scheduled Tribe Meiteis in the Scheduled Hill Areas of:

1. Kangpokpi District

2. Tengnoupal District

3. Chandel District

4. Churachandpur District

5. Hill Areas of Jiribam

These actions constitute grave violations of Article 371C of the Constitution, the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) Order, 1972, the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms Act, 1960, and the landmark Samatha Judgment (1997) of the Supreme Court prohibiting any transfer or settlement of tribal lands in favour of non-tribals.

1. Illegal Land Manipulation in Hill Area Tribal Villages:

There are escalating attempts to manipulate land records and forcibly settle Non-ST Meiteis in the following Gazette-recognised Hill Area villages, all of which are constitutionally protected tribal territories:

(1) Gwaltabi Kuki (Kwantabi) - 1956 Gazette Hill Village

(2) Dolaithabi - Within Satang Kuki (Sadang Colet) tribal jurisdiction (1956 Gazette)

(3) Leitanpokpi - Historically Purum Likli and Y. Langkhong territory; later manipulated into valley records

(4) Sugunu (Sugnu) - Official Hill Village (1956 Gazette)

(5) Torbung - Transferred to Churachandpur Hill Areas (1953; 1956 Gazette)

(6) Kangvai - Recorded as a tribal Hill Village (1956; 1975 Gazette)

(7) Moreh - Listed under Tengnoupal Circle (1956 Gazette); part of Tengnoupal ADC (1972 Gazette)

(8) Hill Areas of Jiribam – Numerous tribal villages documented in the 1956 Gazette

These villages fall squarely within the Scheduled Hill Areas and cannot, under any circumstance, be resettled or reclassified for non-tribal habitation.

2. Manipulation of Tribal Land Records is Illegal: A systematic attempt is underway to:

(1) Forge or alter tribal land records

(2) Assign valley jurisdiction over Hill Area villages

(3) Record illegal Meitei settlements inside tribal lands

(4) Misrepresent Scheduled Hill villages as valley villages

These acts violate multiple statutory provisions:

A. Section 2 of the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms Act, 1960: Hill Areas are completely excluded from the Act: - Section 2(1)(b):

"Nothing in this Act shall apply to the Hill Areas of Manipur."

This means:

(1) Valley land laws, mutation, partition, registration, survey, and settlement procedures cannot apply in Hill Areas.

(2) Any land record created by valley authorities for Hill Area land is void, unenforceable, and illegal.

(3) Non-ST Meiteis cannot acquire land or settlement rights in Hill Areas.

B. Section 158 of the MLR&LR Act, 1960: Non-Scheduled Tribes cannot hold or acquire land in Hill Areas Section 158 provides:

(1) Only Scheduled Tribes are entitled to hold land in Hill Areas.

(2) Transfer of land from a tribal to a non-tribal is strictly prohibited.

(3) Any such transfer is null, void, and punishable.

Thus:

(1) Meiteis (Non-ST) cannot settle, own, inherit, or possess Hill Area land.

(2) Any allotment or mutation in favour of Non-ST Meiteis is illegal.

C. Section 28 of the Registration Act, 1908:

Documents must be registered in the jurisdiction where the land is located

Section 28 states: 

"Every document relating to immovable property shall be presented for registration in the office of the Sub-Registrar in whose sub-district the whole or some portion of the property is situated."

This means:

(1) Valley Sub-Registrars (Imphal East/West, Thoubal, Bishnupur) have NO jurisdiction over Hill Area land.

(2) Any registration made in valley offices for Hill Area land is invalid and fraudulent.

(3) Non-ST Meiteis cannot legally register land in Hill Areas.

3. Samatha Judgment (1997): Supreme Court Prohibits Settlement of Non-Tribals in Tribal Areas

In Samatha v. State of Andhra Pradesh (1997) 8 SCC 191, the Supreme Court held:

(1) All land in Scheduled/Tribal Areas belongs exclusively to tribal communities.

(2) Government cannot transfer or allot tribal land to non-tribals.

(3) Non-tribals cannot settle, occupy, or hold land in tribal areas.

(4) Any transfer or settlement in favour of non-tribals is null and void.

(5) Manipulation of land records to favour non-tribals is unconstitutional.

These principles fully apply to the Hill Areas of Manipur, protected under Article 371C and administered through HAC and ADCs.

4. Clear Constitutional & Statutory Violations:

The illegal settlement of Meiteis in Hill Areas violates:

(1) Article 371C – HAC must approve all decisions affecting Hill Areas.

(2) HAC Order, 1972 – Unauthorised decisions affecting Hill Areas are void.

(3) MLR&LR Act, 1960 (Section 2) – Hill Areas excluded from valley land laws.

(4) MLR&LR Act, 1960 (Section 158) – Non-tribals cannot hold Hill Area land.

(5) Registration Act, 1908 (Section 28) – Valley Sub-Registrars lack jurisdiction over Hill Area land.

(6) Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971 – Hill land is administered by ADCs, not valley authorities.

(7) Samatha Judgment, 1997 – Non-tribals cannot settle in tribal areas.

Demands:

1. Immediate halt to illegal resettlement of Non-ST Meiteis in Hill Areas.

2. Cancellation of all manipulated land records in Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Churachandpur, and Jiribam.

3. An independent investigation by NCST and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

4. Recognition and restoration of original Gazette-listed tribal boundaries (1953–1956–1972–1974–1975).

5. Criminal action against officials and groups involved in tampering with tribal land records.

6. Strict enforcement of the Samatha Judgment, HAC authority, and ADC land administration in all Hill Areas.

Conclusion: The tribal people of Manipur will never accept illegal demographic intrusion, manipulation of records, or forced resettlement of non-tribals in constitutionally protected Hill Areas.

The Government of Manipur must urgently restore the rule of law, respect the constitutional rights of Scheduled Tribes, and end all attempts to alter the ethnic and legal character of the Hill Areas.

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