Uniform land law needed : MMTU
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 30 2024: Saying that the existing land law in Manipur is creating division among the indigenous people, the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) has urged the Government to implement a uniform land law throughout the State.

MMTU, in a statement signed by its secretary administration, said that the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act (MLR&LR Act) was imposed in Manipur in 1960 .

Stating that MLR&LR Bill was drafted by a 30 member team led by the then Deputy Commissioner T Kipgen while Manipur was a Part-C State, the Union added that the drafting committee had only three Meitei members.

MMTU further said that first Chief Minister MK Priyobrata, different society organisations, Manipur State Congress and Communist Party which were influential at that time strongly opposed the implementation of MLR&LR Act.

Continuing that MLR& LR Act has wrongfully confined the indigenous Meetei people to just 700 square miles of Manipur's land, the Union added that it is the existing land law system which is creating division among the indigenous people.

MMTU also said that more than one lakh Meetei families are landless while many others who have homestead lands don't possess any land document (patta) .

Saying that the land being inhabited by Meiteis is not classified as scheduled land as the ethnic group is not in the Scheduled Tribe list, the Union said that every community except Meitei are allowed to settle anywhere in Manipur.

The MLR&LR Act is victimising the Meitei community, the Union said.

MMTU went on to state that many areas which are actually valley areas have been merged with Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal by the Government.

Further stating that land measuring about 33 thousand hectares in foothill areas of valley districts were also declared as reserved forest by Manipur State Durbar in 1932 and the Meiteis still cannot settle in these places, the Union added that Meiteis also cannot settle in the unclassified forest areas.

The number of landless Meitei families is increasing day by day and it speaks volume of the predicament being faced by the ethnic community, MMTU said while urging the Government to revoke the existing land law system.

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