LNC against Nepalese campaign
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 21 2016: In the wake of the recent 'flagrant campaign' of the Nepali community living in Manipur asserting themselves as the native of the State and their consequent demand for village administration authority, the Liangmai Naga Council, Manipur (LNC- M) has made its resolute stand on the issue and appealed to the Nepali community to refrain from indulging in acts that has the potential to nurture trust deficit between the Nepalese and the indigenous tribal population.

In a statement, LNC said that a good chunk of Nepalese are living in Liangmai ancestral land under the so called Sadar Hills areas.

Apart from some strayed individuals based outside the area who consistently plan and instigate ideas to disturb the peaceful existence, the age old landowner-tenant relationship between the native tribal Nagas and Nepalese have been in practice till today.

It is imperative for the Government and all sincere hearted people to revisit histories and consult the stakeholders while dealing with volatile matters such as the present one and not be blinded by the 'foxy' narratives of certain groups alone.

In the 1930s, the then British regime, without consulting the tribal land owners, permitted the Nepalese entry to Irang areas for the limited purpose of grazing their cattle.

The said arrangement was for Nepalese to temporarily stay on payment of grazing tax to the Government wherein the villagers of Thonglang were authorized to collect the tax from the Nepali households.

Concurrently, they also paid land tax to the surrounding Liangmai Naga villages viz Thonglang Akutpa, Thonglang Atongba, Tapon Naga, Harup Naga and Makui as per tribal customary law for their settlement.

It is also learnt that the then British India Government outrightly rejected their request for allotment of land for settlement since the permission for Nepalese to graze their cattle in the area was a temporary arrangement and more importantly for the reason that the Government cannot allot tribal land to non-tribals as per stringent laws that regulates tribal lands.

Therefore, right from the beginning of their entry to hill areas up until today, the Nepalese have been paying land tax to the villages mentioned as per tribal customary law.

If the Government of Manipur tries to interfere into the well-established and recognized practices of tribal rights over their land, it shall be opposed tooth and nail and any measure or attempts to infringe the rights of the tribals shall be dealt with in a befitting manner, LNC asserted.

"However, we will continue to maintain the age old harmonious relationship with the Nepalese if they abide by the tribal customary laws.

It is also a known fact that the Panchayati Raj was scrapped from Sadar Hills areas as it contradicts the provision of the Constitution which clearly mentions that the Panchayati Raj will not be extended in hill districts under Article 243 (M).

The sanctity of the tribal customary laws cannot be disturbed and defiled in order to appease people who are not rightful owners of the land," it added.

It is rather interesting to see the MLAs from valley area who were all out for carving out the non-natives in the State in the form of ILP were lobbying for Nepalese against the indigenous people of the State.

Such move reeks with double standards and opportunism on both sides, the LNC asserted.

LNC is well informed about several movements by Nepali settlers elsewhere, including territorial claim and pan-India ST demand.

It is only apt that better sense prevail among the Nepalese that unlike other places in India, the Hill areas have Constitutional protections and more relevantly the customary law and values that rate tribal land and identity above everything else, it said, and added, "For us land is not just a piece of property but our culture, history and identity" .

"History and ethnicity cannot be created and what is as clear as the noon light shall be upheld with the same vigour, pride and strength that safeguarded us from foreigners in the past," it said.

"The Council does not wish to stoop down to every such claim however having so responded, the resolute stand and serious cognisance taken by the Council against such opportunist move is unequivocally conveyed," it added.

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