Posers raised over Kuki chiefs lording entire villages
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 10 2023:
While stating that the violence in the state is due to the non-im-plementation of Village Authority Act, 1956 in Kuki villages; Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) found-er member Ningthoujam Nilachandra said that Kuki village chiefs have ownership over the entire village, customary law and as such, he urged the authority concerned to ensure the implementa-tion of the Act Addressing a press meet at Manipur Press Club here Monday, Nilachan-dra said that the custom of kings/chiefs being masters of the entire land is no longer followed in the world, but Kuki chiefs continue to do so till date, insisting that it is their customary law.
He continued that the Village Authority Act was enacted in 1956 and en-forced in 1957, as was or-dered by the government.
Under this Act, the Nagas accepted the governance of the village via the village authority but the same could not be carried out in Kuki villages so far, due to the objection of the Kuki chiefs.
Nilachandra then said the non-implementa-tion of the Act led to the creation of new Kuki villages, which further led to the settlement of new people and increase number of Kuki villages.
Thus, he urged for the authority concerned to look into the matter and ensure the implementa-tion of the Act to remove this unreasonable right of Kuki chiefs.