Silent invasion of Manipur by Kuki-Zo tribes by side-lining the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967
- Part 2 -

Prof. K. Yugindro Singh *

2. Establishment of uniform land laws throughout the territory of Manipur:

Section 19 of the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967 extends the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (MLR & RL) Act, 1960 to the Hill Areas of Manipur subject to the amendments/modifications specified in the Schedule to the Act of 1967.

The amendments/modifications made in MLR & RL Act, 1960 by the Schedule to section 19 of the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967 w.e.f. 20th June 1967 are as under:

Relevant section of the MLR & RL Act	Un-amended statement	Amended statement
Sub-section (2) of section 1	“(2) It extends to the whole of the Union territory of Manipur except the hill areas thereof.”	“(2) It extends to the whole of the Union territory of Manipur; Provided that in respect of the Hill Areas, only the provisions of Part I and II shall apply.”
Sub-section (3) of section 1	“(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Administrator may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint; and different dates may be appointed for different areas and for different provisions of this Act.”	“(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Administrator may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint; and different dates may be appointed for different areas and for different provisions of this Act; Provided that in respect of the Hill Areas or any part thereof all the provisions of parts I and II of this Act shall come into force on the date specified therefor in the notification issued under section 19 of the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967.”
Clause (d) of section 2	“(d) “commencement of this Act”, in relation to any provision, means the date specified in respect of that provision in a notification under sub-section (3) of section 1;”	“(d) “commencement of this Act”, in relation to any provision, means the date specified in respect of that provision in a notification under sub-section (3) of section 1; Provided that in respect of the Hill areas or any part thereof it shall mean the date specified in respect of that area in the notification issued under section 19 of the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967. ”
Clause (j) of section 2	“(j) “hill areas” means such areas in the hill tracts of the Union territory of Manipur as the Administrator may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be hill areas;”	“(j) “hill areas” means the areas in the hill tracts of the Union territory of Manipur as have been declared to be hill areas by the Administrator by notification in the Official Gazette before the commencement of the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967.”
Sub-section (1) of section 12	“(1) The right to all trees, jungles or other natural products growing on land set apart for forest reserves and to all trees, brush wood, jungle or other natural product, wherever growing, except in so far as the same may be the property of any person, vests in the Government, and such trees, brush wood, jungle or other natural product shall be preserved or disposed of in such manner as may be prescribed, keeping in view the interests of the people in the area with regard to the user of the natural products.”	“(1) The right to all trees, jungles or other natural products growing on land set apart for forest reserves and to all trees, brush wood, jungle or other natural product, wherever growing, except in so far as the same may be the property of any person, vests in the Government, and such trees, brush wood, jungle or other natural product shall be preserved or disposed of in such manner as may be prescribed, keeping in view the interests of the people in the area with regard to the user of the natural products. Provided that the residents of the Hill Areas shall, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, be allowed to take so much timber, fire wood or other natural products belonging to the Government for their domestic or agricultural purpose from any place within the Hill Areas, not being a reserved forest, as may be notified by the Government from time to time.”
Sub-section (1) of section 14	“(1) The deputy commissioner may allot land belonging to the Government for agricultural purposes or for construction of dwelling houses, in accordance with such rules as may be made in this behalf under this Act; and such rules may provide for allotment of land to persons evicted under section 15. “	“(1) The deputy commissioner may, subject to the provisions contained in section 18 of the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967, and the rules made under the Act allot land belonging to the Government for agricultural purposes or for construction of dwelling houses, in accordance with such rules as may be made in this behalf under this Act; and such rules may provide for allotment of land to persons evicted under section 15.”
Clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 14	“(b) to entrust the management of any such land or any rights therein to the Gram Panchayat of the village established under any law for the time being in force.”	“(b) to entrust the management of any such land or any rights therein to the Gram Panchayat or any other local authority of the village established under any law for the time being in force.”
Clause (iii) of sub-section (2) of section 98 (A new clause)	-	“(iii) the conditions under which the residents of Hill Areas may be allowed to take timber, fire wood and other natural products for domestic use or agricultural purposes from any place in the Hill Areas, not being a reserved forest.”

Notably, clause 1(a) of the Schedule under section 19 of The Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967 has deleted the phrase “except the hill areas thereof” provided in section 1(2) of the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (MLR & RL) Act, 1960 and made parts I and II of the MLR & RL Act applicable to the “Hill Areas” defined thereto.

More notably, clause 2(c) of the Schedule under section 19 of The Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967 has changed the definition of “Hill Areas” provided in clause (j) of section 2 of the MLR & RL Act, 1960 as under:

“(j) “hill areas” means the areas in the hill tracts of the Union territory of Manipur as have been declared to be hill areas by the Administrator by notification in the Official Gazette before the commencement of the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act, 1967.”

The relevant order mentioned in the amended clause (j) of section 2 of the MLR & RL Act, 1960 is the Government of Manipur notification No. 19/3/62/Pol dated 10.5.1963 published in the Manipur Gazette on 15th May 1963 according to which the whole territory of Manipur is divided into two areas namely, “Valley Areas” and “Hill Areas” comprising of the following Revenue Sub-Divisions:

Name of Area : (i) Valley Areas
Revenue Sub-Divisions : (1) Imphal West, (2) Imphal East, (3) Thoubal, (4) Bishenpur, (5) Churachandpur, (6) Jiribam, (7) Tengnoupal and (8) Sadar Hills Development Block in Mao-Sadar Sub-Division

Name of Area : (ii) Hill Areas
Revenue Sub-Divisions : (1) Tamenglong, (2) Ukhrul and (3) Mao-Sadar Sub-Division excluding Sadar Hills Development Block

Since both the Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs Rights) Act, 1967 and the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (MLR & RL) Act, 1960 as have been made applicable to the State of Manipur w.e.f. 21st January 1972 by the Manipur (Adaptation of Laws) Order, 1972 the definitions of “Valley Areas” and “Hill Areas”, provided in the amended clause (j) of section 2 of the MLR & RL Act, 1960 still hold today.

III. ADVERSE EFFECTS FOR NON-IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACT OF 1967

1. Abnormal increase of villages in Kuki-Zo dominated areas of Manipur

By comparing the number of villages of the districts of Manipur for the year 1969 and 2023 (see Table 1), it is noticed that there has occurred abnormal increase of villages in Kuki-Zo dominated hill areas of Manipur.

Table 1: District-wise growth of villages in Manipur during 1969-2023

Districts	No. of villages in 1969 as published in Gazette	No. of villages in 2023 as provided by Ministry of Pachayati Raj, GoI	Increase (+)/Decrease (-)
Imphal West	181	201	+ 20
Imphal East	187	232	+ 45
Thoubal (plus Kaching)	149	194	+ 45
Bishnupur	70	111	+ 41
Jiribam	102	79	- 23
Chandel	164	460	+ 296
Tengnoupal	68	326	+ 258
Tamenglong	116	146	+ 30
Noney (Nungba)	62	73	+ 11
Kangpokpi	179	721	+ 542
Senapati	126	147	+ 21
Churachandpur	282	842	+ 560
Pherzwal	38	100	+ 62
Ukhrul	106	92	- 14
Kamjong	127	132	+ 5
TOTAL	1957	3856	+ 1899

From the numerical figures shown in Table 1, it is crystal clear that there is abnormal increase of villages in the Kuki-Zo dominated districts namely, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Chandel and Pherzwal. This abnormal growth of villages in these districts indicates that a huge number of Kuki-Zo refugees/illegal migrants from Myanmar, Bangladesh and other neighbouring States have entered into Manipur in the last few decades and taken settlement in those villages under the patronage of hereditary chiefs.

According to the land ownership system prevalent among the Kuki-Zo tribes, only one son can inherit the chiefship of a village from his father. Other sons of the chief often venture out to set up their own villages. The Manipur (Village Authorities in Hill Areas) Act, 1956 requires a minimum of 20 houses to establish a new village.

The ambitious sons of a Chief who have the desire of becoming village chiefs can fulfil their aspiration by establishing new villages with assimilation of Kuki-Zo refugees/illegal migrants as members of the villages. The chief can allot land to outsiders, including foreigners, and make them settle in the village as long as they please him. This wrong social practice leads to rapid growth of new villages in the Kuki-Zo dominated districts.

Table 1 also brings the fact to the fore that there is normal growth of villages, attributable to increase of population by births, in respect of Meitei dominated districts: all the districts of the central valley of Manipur namely, Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal (including Kakching) which are dominated by the Meiteis have normal growth. But in case of Jiribam district which is also a Meitei dominated district, there is sharp decrease in the number of villages during the period 1969 to 2023.

The decrease in the number of villages in respect of Jiribam district is due to transfer of 15 villages in 1969 and 14 villages in 1972 from Jiribam to Churachandpur. Way back in January 1953, 42 villages were transferred from Thoubal to Churachandpur. The pattern of growth of villages in Naga dominated districts namely, Tamenglong, Noney, Senapati, Ukhrul and Kamjong may also be taken as normal. The decrease in the number of villages in respect of Ukhrul district is due to creation of Kamjong district out of Ukhrul district in 2016.

To be continued...

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* Prof. K. Yugindro Singh, wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer is Former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Manipur University,
and may be reached at yugindro361(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This article was webcasted on May 19 2025.

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