SHITULF vows to protect tribal land and forest
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, November 09 2022: Sadar Hills Tribals' Union on Land and Forest (SHITULF) adopted firm resolutions on various tribal issues including land and forest in Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi district in its emergency meeting held at Autonomous District Council Bhavan, Imphal on November 7.A press communique signed by the union's chairman Dr M Dominic and general secretary Thangminlen Kipgen reiterated that the Sadar Hills Tribals1 Union on Land and Forest was formed on July 4, 2022 with the main objective to protect the land and forest of the Sadar Hills tribals from external forces that seek to encroach upon or illegally acquire land, and it will function along the provisions of the Indian Constitution by dint of Article 361(C).The Union is a conglomerate body of all tribals of Sadar Hills, mainly those belonging to Kuki and Naga communities.

According to the union, the emergency meeting attended by various tribal bodies and chiefs discussed matters pertaining to tribal forest rights and ownership of the forest and other land matters wherein the state government had out-rightly claimed many villages of Kangpokpi district to be overlapping with many non-hill districts of the state.

The meeting rejected the government's order related to overlapping of villages between Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts, saying that it is baseless and the government would get confused over its own issued gazette orders wherein every village is clearly demarcated within a certain district.

It also resolved that the union would appeal to its elected representatives to implement the previous 2013 order of the state government to transfer all land records to the deputy commissioner concerned.

On the transfer of reserved forests from Kangpokpi district to Imphal East district under the Central Forest Division, the meeting claimed that hill villages are being "stolen" under the guise of the Forest administration and resolved to appeal to the state government to follow the due process of law and rectify/quash its order, if not, any untoward escalations in this regard will be solely the responsibility of the state government.

On the issue of rationalising of Kangpokpi district police jurisdiction, the meeting resolved to approach and entrust the three MLAs of the district at the earliest to take up the issue in the strongest terms for the welfare and better administration of the district police and also resolved to submit memoranda to the elected representatives for setting up more police stations and outposts and bringing in all villages under Kangpokpi district under the supervision and authority of SP Kangpokpi.

The meeting also resolved to depute a team under SHITULF to meet the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes at Delhi to raise the concerns of the tribal populace of the district and to also submit a memorandum to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs within this year.

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