Chieftainship abetting influx, conflict: Biren
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, March 04 2024:
Some factors for influx of illegal immigrants and current conflict in the state include continued practice of institution of hereditary chieftainship by the Kuki community, allowing male offspring of the chief to set up own villages and become chief in their own right.
As such, the centre approved The Manipur Hill Areas Acquisition of Chiefs Rights Act, 1969.Since the President of India had already approved abolition of hereditary chieftainship, the government is discussing steps necessary, said chief minister N Biren responding to Kakching MLA M Rameshwar.
Taking advantage of the short duration discussion hour during Monday's sitting of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, MLA Rameshwar said that the hereditary chieftainship allows sons of a Kuki chief to set up own villages and became the chief with land and administrative rights, provided there are at least 20 households in the said village.
This became a factor in bringing in illegal immigrants to meet the 20-household criteria, leading to increase of villages.
Terming the practice of hereditary chieftainship as anti-thesis to democracy, the practice was abolished in Mizoram.
In Manipur, The Manipur Hill Areas Acquisition of Chiefs Rights Act was passed in 1969, abolishing the hereditary chieftainship and handed over all powers to the state.
After the Act was sent to the central government, it subsequently received the assent of the President.
Thus, implementing the Act and putting an end to the hereditary chieftainship would help prevent similar prevailing conflicts in the future.
Thus, Rameshwar urged for issuing a gazette notification and seeing to the enforcement of the Act.
Opposition MLA K Ranjit also supplemented Rameshwar's suggestion, adding that he was unaware of the existence of such an Act, which had already received the assent of the President.
Thus, he urged for discussion in the next sitting and abolishing hereditary chieftainship once and for all.
In response, chief minister N Biren said that as the Act had already been approved by the President the same would be discussed at the government level.
He then said that the previous misdoings had buried the present government neck deep, preventing it from doing anything.
The valley used to be surrounded by camps of Kuki militants.
Small town committees were upgraded to ADCs, with four Panchayat Blocks becoming ADCs.
Majority of Kangpokpi used to be under Imphal West district.
In 2012, four GPs of Imphal West were converted into ADCs by a cabinet decision without Revenue s permission.
This has become the biggest mistake till date.
Moreh was also mentioned as a small town committee under the relevant Act.
The then additional chief secretary recognised around five villages as ADC.
The situation was as if there was no government, which led to the present scenario of a "monkey chasing away the farmer", he quipped.