Respect tribal customary law, land use system: ATSUM
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Kangpokpi, July 02 2014:
Strongly reacting against the proposed re-drafting of the MLR & LR Act, All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) today stated that just for the sake of development the government will not be allowed to act as per its whims and fancy, while adding that Tribal customary law and land use system has to be respected.
Emboi Serto, President ATSUM, said that the student body sees red on the government's plan to re-draft the MLR & LR Act as 'our ancestral land is being seen as land which can be bought and encroached by government at its own will', and pointed out the case in Moreh where 3000 acres are being planned to be acquired for construction of a new township.
The government policy of never consulting the HAC and the tribal people will not be tolerated, Emboi Serto stated, while adding that the New Land Use Policy implemented in Mizoram cannot be practiced in Manipur and asked the Government and every concerned authority to keep this in their mind.
In the meantime, ATSUM Chief has called upon the tribal people to be very vigilant towards the move.
He added that the Joint Forest Management and Reserved Forest policy under which tribals we are paid some few lakhs are hindrances to the ancestral land use system.
'We must not be fooled by some personal gains and compromise our rights' added Emboi Serto.