Thawai Kuki Village Authority rebuts 'Hamlet' claim, cites legal and historical records
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, March 17 2026: The Thawai Kuki Village Authority has strongly refuted claims made by the Thoyee (Thawai Tangkhul) Village Authority that Thawai Kuki is merely a subordinate hamlet under Tangkhul jurisdiction, terming the assertion "historically incorrect, legally untenable, and contradicted by official records" .

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Thawai Kuki Village Authority referred to a number of archival and administrative records from the colonial and post-colonial periods.

Citing Civil Case No 532 of 1920-1921 from the Court of the Sub-Divisional Officer, Ukhrul, the authorities stated that territorial boundaries of Thawai Kuki under Chief Khupkho Kuki were formally recorded and authenticated on July 2, 1921 .

The demarcation extended from Haphulok Simana in the north to the Thoubal River in the west, establishing formal administrative recognition of the village.

The authority also cited Miscellaneous Case No 71 of 1945-46, claiming that Tangkhul representatives had acknowledged before the Sub-Divisional Officer, Ukhrul, that land in the Mahadev Hill range had been sold to the Chief of Thawai Kuki.

The order, dated November 21, 1945, was cited as evidence of recognised ownership and territorial rights.

The statement also highlighted appellate proceedings in 1947 that upheld earlier findings, noting that boundary stones had been erected and mutually agreed upon.

Another case, Misc Case No 268 of 1955-56, reaffirmed that "the original title still lies with the plaintiff village (Thawai Kuki)," and directed the opposing village to shift west of the Thoubal river.

Subsequent proceedings in 1963 were also cited to demonstrate continued legal recognition of Thawai Kuki's land rights.

Beyond historical records, the authority stressed that Thawai Kuki is a statutorily recognised Kuki Hill village under the Manipur State Hill Peoples (Administration) Regulation, 1947, with its status reaffirmed through official gazette notifications and protected under Article 371C and Article 300A of the constitution.

It further maintained that its land is safeguarded by laws such as the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, I960, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006 .

It added that no part of the village land has been acquired under existing land acquisition laws, including the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 or the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 .

Reiterating the customary legal framework, it stated that land ownership rests with the village chief, a principle upheld in judicial precedents and reinforced by the Supreme Court's ruling in Samatha vs State of Andhra Pradesh (1997).Concluding its rebuttal, the Thawai Kuki Village Authority stated that any attempt to portray the village as a subordinate hamlet or to deny its territorial jurisdiction are "unsupported by the law, history, or administrative precedent," and urged that public discourse be guided by verified facts rather than what it termed "misleading narratives" that disregard documented facts.

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