Dimapur, August 3 (MExN): The Tribal Peoples’ Forum, Manipur (TPFM) has condemned the ‘deliberate move to grasp the land of the tribals of Manipur through duplicitous means and style’ by Okram Ibobi Singh led Government of Manipur. In this regard, TPFM expressed its strong support and solidarity to the just demands of the Committee on Protection of Tribal Areas, Manipur (COPTAM). TPFM Member Secretary H. Ruleng in a press release condemned the recent move of the Manipur Legislative Assembly to take away the land of the tribals by proposing uniform land policy for valley and hill of Manipur.
The Forum stated that such a step is a deceitful attempt to violate the rights of tribals safeguarded and protected by the Indian Constitution. It is worth nothing that hill areas were clearly demarcated even before the advent of Manipur as a state with the stated objective of protecting and safeguarding the rights and survival of the tribals. However, the protection and safeguard has been deliberately eroded gradually through the use of mischievous tools by the state. The attempt to create a “uniform land policy” is one more such attempts. Such attempts are made with the deliberate motive of forcefully assimilating the tribals of Manipur with the dominant Meetei majority and to destroy their way of life which is intrinsically linked to their lands.
TPFM demands that all land revenue records and collections of the hill areas should be maintained by the respective deputy collectors, as is the norm in other parts of the country. TPFM demands that all the pertinent records are transferred from the Secretariat in Imphal to the respective hill districts.
TPFM appeals to all the Tribal Members of Manipur Legislative Assembly to stand up for the tribals and defence their right to land, territories and natural resources, to enable the tribals to determine and develop according to their wishes and aspirations. “The Government of Manipur should realise the futility of playing such dirty games against the tribals and begin respecting the tribal people before more damage is done,” the Forum said while reiterating its solidarity and support to COPTAM in their course of action to ensure protection of the tribal people rights.
