KSO's final verdict on NLUP: 'No'
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 13 2014: After due appraisal, the KSO General Headquarters has resolved to oppose in toto the Manipur government's New Land Use Policy (NLUP); and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 .

Issuing a statement in this regard today, Seiboi Haokip, General Secretary of KSO General Headquarters, said that KSO has consulted the Kuki people and other tribal organizations over this latest land policy and the fair compensation Act passed by the government and the final verdict is to say 'No' to the government.

Seiboi observed that the NLUP, advocated for the first time in the northeastern states by the Mizoram government, shall not apply to the hill districts of Manipur.

Unlike the land holding system in Mizoram, where the lands are all community lands, the lands in the hills district of Manipur are in the hands of the traditional chieftains.

In Kuki villages where there exists a traditional form of administration, the lands are utilized as it should be and properly, through traditional methods so as to maintain the ecosystem and other environmental considerations.

Observing that many consider the jhum form of cultivation as the main reason for deforestation, soil erosion and other environmental concerns but this is not so, KSO contended that the tribal jhum cultivators have their own traditional methods to check deforestation and soil erosion.

"To check deforestation, we traditionally follow the jhum cycle where we return to the same jhum site after 6-7 years when the trees are big enough to cut and also when the fertility of the soil is restored.

To check soil erosion we laid unburned tree trunks horizontal to the slope called 'Chang' and planted fast growing crops to contain the soil from wearing away", Seiboi said.

In fact, he further pointed out; area under jhum cultivation has come down in spite of growing population pressure.

Many jhum cultivators have now taken to plantation farming instead.

There are also instances where wastelands have been developed albeit funding of any monetary assistance from the government.

"It is our opinion that it is a matter of time that the practice of jhum cultivation will finally come to an end.

What we needed now to realize this is a sincere initiative from government institutions to pump in capitals in the hill districts for plantation farms, animal husbandry, etc.

Our forests are our source of sustenance and we take good care of it.

The finger pointing attitude of government agencies that the tribal people are not capable of taking care of their lands are just hyperboles to get their hands on the pie and to obtain funds from the central", the student leader asserted.

"We don't need this NLUP.

What the hill people needed most to conserve their lands are funds for sedentary farming which according to the government is always scarce.

While the government have ample of funds for projects in the valley, there is always the scarcity of fund for livelihood in the hills.

This is the irony of it", he maintained.

Furthermore, KSO contended that by bringing the Right to Fair Compensation Act, the government is harping on forced acquisition of land as in the carrot and stick policy.

In all history of its statehood, the state government had been playing the cat and mouse game with tribal chiefs.

The MLR&LR Act, the Village Authority Acts, Reserve Forests Acts, JFMC, etc.

are the tools used to subdue the tribal chiefs.

These Acts are all in contravention with our cultural and traditional set up.

"We don't want compensation and neither do we want to part with our lands.

Therefore, we appeal the government to be sincere and honest with the tribal people and scrap the proposed Right to Fair Compensation Act, 2014 and the New Land Use Policy which are antagonistic to the interests of the tribal people.

Otherwise, a day may come when the tribal people of the state will be forever alienated or parted way with Manipur", the statement of KSO General Headquarters added.

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