Tribals are not covered by the Merger Agreement: Anal bodies
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 09 2014:
Anal Naga Tangpi (ANTA), Anal Lenruwl Tangpi (ALT) and Anallon Chief Association, during a consultative meeting held today at ANTA office, have strongly opposed the New Land Use Policy, saying that the whole of the hill areas were excluded from the jurisdiction of the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act and the Hill Areas have been occupied by the tribals from time immemorial.
The meeting of the three bodies alleged that the State govt had several times attempted extension of the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act in the hill areas.
Meanwhile, a joint statement of the three Anal Naga bodies pointed out that an ancient Meitei poem written by J.Roy mentions Manipur valley as the real and only Manipur around which the hills stand and the tribals live.
'The Haos mentioned in the poem are the hill-Men who live around the Manipur state, a contemptuous term used by the Manipuris which was explained in annual report of the Manipur political agent for 1986-69 by Dr.Brown, Principal Agent Munipore as "The hill Men generally are all named "Haow" by the Manipuris, the statement added.
It further said, 'The hill ranges that surround Manipur state are the abode of the tribal people who ruled themselves without outside interference.
The Manipur state Durbar of the Maharaja never had a say in the hill area administration as noted by Sir Robert Reid, the governor of Assam, in the history of the frontier Area bordering Assam 1893 to 1941' .
Recalling that Government of India Foreign Department Annual Administration report of the Munipore Agency for the year ending 30th June, 1873 published by the authority stated the hill tribals as the independent tribals under section 17, the statement claimed that chiefs are lords of the soil within their boundaries and if any alien wishes to enter a chiefs territory and work on his land, it must heed to the customary laws.
The tribals are not covered by Merger agreement of Manipur signed on 21 Sept.
1949 at Shillong between the Maharaja of Manipur Bodha Chandra Singh and V.P.Menon, Adviser to the Govt.of India.
The Maharaja of Manipur surrendered his territory, title, authority, rights and privileges except his personal properties and religious rites and received a sum of Rs.3 lakhs per year from the Govt.of India, the statement continued.
Thus, the sovereignty and independence of areas of Manipur as a country came to an end.
The total area of Manipur Merger agreement covered was his territory of 700 Sq.
miles or 26,500 paris/hacteres, while not even a single inch of hill areas were included, the joint statement asserted.
Saying the state Government without consulting the tribal leaders, chiefs and the general public has applied many methods to extend MLR & LR Act in the hill areas, the statement affirmed that the proposed new land use policy in the hill area will be rejected by the tribals.
As Anal tribes are also ruled by the chiefs in their respective villages as per the Anal Customary Law book, the proposed New Land use Policy cannot be introduced in the Anal tribal areas, it said, while making it clear that none of the Anal people shall attend the public hearing on NLUP to be conducted on July 10 by the district administration of Chandel.
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