Zomi Chiefs Assn extend support to HAC's stand
Source: The Sangai Express

Churachandpur, March 23 2021: The Zomi Chiefs Association today endorsed the stand of Hill Areas Committee which declared that there was a procedural error in the Declaration of Reserved Forest in Hill Areas of the state.

The Association fully endorses the stand of the Committee that "any declaration of Protected Forest, Reserved Forest, and Wildlife Sanctuaries on or after 20th June, 1972 shall not be enforced by the Department," said a statement issued by the association.

It further added that the ZCA applauds the legislatively astute and politically conscious resolution of the Hill Areas Committee at this crucial juncture.

The Zomi Chiefs Association also highlighted that the Governor of Manipur on December 2, 1997 unilaterally declared Kailam Wildlife Sanctuary covering an area of 187.50 square kms which included 17 villages, under Section u/s 18 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.In addition, on August 31, 2015 the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued a draft notification declaring the surrounding area as "eco-sensitive" covering an additional 48 villages in an area of 734 square kilometres.

These declarations and the statement claimed neither took the consent of the chiefs (land owners) nor does it fulfil the required procedure based on the Scheduled Matters of Article 371 C of the Presidential Order of 1972 as rightly affirmed by the resolution of the Hill Areas Committee.

In response to the 1997 gazette notification, five village chiefs filed a written objection.

The 2015 notification was objected to by the Thanlon Sub-Division Village Chiefs Association in October 2015.Moreover 8 village chiefs filed a writ petition in the High Court of Manipur challenging the proclamation of the sanctuary.

Therefore, the Zomi Chiefs Association supports the HAC's endeavour through their Resolution to protect tribal ancestral territories from encroachment of any sort that may destabilize livelihood, destroy culture or undermine identities.

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