Their Will Be Done (On Earth)

By Dennis Misao *

In the present age of scams, and of land scams in particular, this expose’ is written without any pride, prejudice, malice, greed, or any other like adjective as the reader may so infer. This is written solely with establishing of the truth, and nothing else.

In the interest of clarity and chronology, I have decide to present these FACTS in serial order, so that any concerned reader/ authority/activist may understand and comprehend how this scam had been so cleverly crafted over the years.

NB: Copies of documents related to this case are always available at the concerned offices / departments, and this case comes under the full ambit of the R.T.I.

1. The land presently occupied by the Kangpokpi Mission belongs to Lungphou Village and was leased out to the American Baptist Mission in the year 1920. [LETTER No.ADC (KPI) 3/33/97(Pt) Dated Kangpokpi, 15-01-2011]
   
   
2. The then chief of Lungphou Village was Satpu Nu, who was illiterate and naïve in the intricacies of The British Colonial Govt., and either succumbed to Political Pressure from the British Colonial Govt., or out of the goodness of her heart, (I would prefer the latter view) she undoubtedly agreed that the American Baptist Mission be allowed to run a School and Hospital in the said area. (Unfortunately, All records related to the actual area of land in that original agreement of 1920 were conveniently destroyed in a fire).
   
   
3. The next chief of Lungphou Village was (L) Phongseh Misao, [Order of the President, Manipur State Durbar, Hill Misc. Case No.168 of 1938 dated 14-10-38] who was more pro-active and outspoken than his predecessor. After learning about this matter, and after much lobbying, he succeeded in the year 1945 to get a condition for renewal of the lease from the Govt.
   
   
4. After India attained Independence, and Manipur became a State, the matter was left pending or conveniently forgotten.
   
   
5. The predecessor of the State of Manipur was the British Colonial Govt. To cut a long story short, the British Colonial Govt. had the power do as it pleased whilst it was in power. However, with a new Constitution in place, and a new State of Manipur, The tribal lands, including the land of Lungphou Village are protected and enshrined in various laws, articles, Supreme Court rulings, etc.
   
   
6. The chief of Lungphou Village (L) Phongseh Misao was steadfast and stubborn in his pursuit of justice. Without any support from any quarter whatsoever, He filed numerous applications to the Govt. of Manipur to pay compensation for the land or for restoration of the same.
   
   
7. After a long lull, in 1976, the then Revenue Secy. to the Govt. of Manipur in consultation with the then Director of Settlement prepared a memorandum in which he pointed out that:
   
   (a) The American Baptist Mission was NO MORE, i.e., it had left India.
   
   (b) In its place, a "Property Assn. of the Council of India" had filed an application for the SETTLEMENT / ALLOTMENT of the land previously on lease to The American Baptist Mission since 1920.
   
   (c) The then Revenue Secy. to the Govt. of Manipur further said that "IT WAS NO MORE A CHARITABLE PROJECT".
   
   (d) Accordingly, the then Revenue Secy. to the Govt. of Manipur recommended ONLY 50 ACRES of land, which would be sufficient for the accommodating the activities of the "Property Assn. of the Council of India".
   
   
8. Since the lease had already expired, in the year 1976, the then Deputy Commissioner of Senapati District called for a detailed report from the SDO, Kangpokpi, who submitted a report on 03-11- 1977 that the proposed area to be allotted is about 100 acres (NB: the Revenue Secy. to the Govt. of Manipur had recommended ONLY 50 ACRES of land)
   
   
9. As per the report from the SDO, Kangpokpi, on 03-11- 1977 that the proposed area to be allotted is 100 acres, the same was marked in an accompanying map. The proposed area was also demarcated by fixing pegs.
   
   
10. Subsequently, the plot thickens. Another survey was conducted by the Director of Settlement and Land records, and the area now MORE THAN DOUBLED to an area totaling 204. 5 acres in 2 (two) Plots - Plot "A" (185.7 acres) and Plot "C" (18.8 acres).
    
    
11. Whereas the survey conducted by the Director of Settlement and Land records, mentions that the area totals 204. 5 acres, Here’s the first SHOCKER:
    
    (a) The Dag Chitha Copies issued for the said land by the Directorate of Settlement, is found to 455 acres, or more than double the area mentioned in the original report, i.e., a total area of 204. 5 acres.
    
    
12. Here’s the NEXT SHOCKER:
    
    As per [Para 5 of the Spot Inquiry of the ADC (KPI) 3/33/97(Pt Dated Kangpokpi, 15-01-2011] it has been mentioned that an area of about 4. 5 acres was "acquired by the Govt. of Manipur for establishment of Sadar Hills Sports Complex in the Mission Land". A schedule of the area has also been drawn up accordingly.
    
    It defies logic as to how any State Govt. can "purchase / acquire" its own "leased land" within an established Hill Tribal Village and pay compensation amount to the Kangpokpi Mission Compound ("leasee") and draw a new Land Schedule.
    
    It defies logic as to how any land under lease can be purchased or acquired.
    
    
13. As per [Para 8 of the Spot Inquiry of the ADC (KPI) 3/33/97(Pt Dated Kangpokpi, 15-01-2011], it has been mentioned "Period of lease was renewed in 1980 for a period up to 2079 OR Ninety nine (99 years)".
    
    It defies logic as to how a plot of land supposedly under "lease"can be extended for a period of Ninety nine (99) years, without any consent of the original landowner, i.e., the Chief of Lungphou land
    
    
14. As per the spot enquiry report, it has also been mentioned in [Para 7] that the "Manipur Baptist Convention is purely a local organization comprising of 29(Twenty nine) Associations"