Newmai News Network Senapati | March 30 The United Naga Council (UNC) appealed Dr Najma Heptullah, the Governor of Manipur, not to give her assent to “The Manipur Agriculture Produce and Live stock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2018” passed on February 23, 2018 by the Manipur Legislative Assembly. The Naga body submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Governor on Thursday. According to the UNC memorandum, the Bill should not be given the assent by the Governor because the sub-section (3) of section 15 reads, “The local authority or autonomous district council shall deliver possession of the land or building vesting in the Market Committee under sub-section (2) within a period of seven days from such vesting and on failure of Local Authority or Autonomous District Council to do so, within the period aforesaid, the deputy commissioner shall take possession of the land or building and cause it to be delivered to the Market Committee”. Another reason why the Governor should not give her assent to the Bill is that, the sub-section (1) of section (20) of the said “Controversial Bill, 2018” passed by the state Legislative Assembly mentioned that the qualification to vote and to be the representative of the agriculturist shall be (a) “Every person whose name is entered as land owner in the village land record or each tenant as define in the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reform Act, 1960 (Act No 33 of 1960)”. The memorandum mentioned that the land holding system in entire hill areas of Manipur is unique and different from the plain or valley areas in the state of Manipur. “No village land records is found in the tenants system is not in existence in the entire hill areas of Manipur because MLR & LR Act, 1960 (Act No. 33 of 1960) is not extended in the hill areas of Manipur”. The UNC further cited another reason why the Bill should not be given assent by the Governor as “transfer of land belonging to tribals by the state government is prohibited by under Article 10 and Article 26 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the General Assembly Resolution 61/296 on 13th September, 2017 and to which the Government of India is one of the signatories as such the state government of Manipur cannot bypass the said provision”. Finally, the Naga body said that any bill or decision which infringes upon our rights over land, identity, history, culture, tradition and time honoured institution will never be accepted under any circumstances. “Therefore, in the light of the above facts and circumstances, the Governor of Manipur is humbly prayed not to assent to the said controversial bill so as to protect the rights and interest of the tribal people”, the UNC memorandum added.
