“As head of the state, chief minister N Biren Singh should rather strive for peace and harmony and should be disillusioned to think that his government can willfully dictate against the will and wishes of the people”, the forum asserted.
TFM Kangpokpi Representative
The Kuki Reformation Forum (KReF) on Tuesday joined the bandwagon of CSOs raising objections over chief minister N Biren Singh’s “all lands belong to the state” remark on the occasion of Van Mahotsav at Mangjol village. KReF called on all right thinking people of Manipur to strongly condemn the statement.
Terming the chief minister’s remark as insensitive and derogatory in nature, KReF maintained that it subverted the Rights and Provisions of the Tribals of Manipur enshrined in article 371 (C) of the Constitution of India, of the right to self-administration for the hill areas of Manipur, and the right to their land and culture.
The forum also asserted that the landmark stone erection of the Kangpokpi–Kanglatombi Reserved Forest is a direct challenge to the existence of tribals and indigenous rights of the people as laid down by The Schedule Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 while adding that it is also plainly noted in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), 2007, that Indigenous people have inalterable rights to their land and freedom.
The forum argued that the declaration of KK Reserved Forest without the assent of the tribal people is against the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1992 which asserts that “National policies and programs shall be planned and implemented with due regard for the legitimate interests of persons belonging to minorities” (Article 5).
It further stated that a banner on the landmark stone that reads “Clearing of forest, breaking up of land for cultivation, setting fire, trespass, felling of trees, removal of forest produce without permit, quarrying, hunting, poisoning of water, altering boundary marks etc. in a Reserved Forest are punishable under the Indian Forest Act, 1927” is a critical misinformation and therefore is a punishable offence under The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
While stating that CM Biren Singh should stop spreading barefaced lies to the public with a narrow divisive intent to gain political mileage out of the tragedy of mistrust and contentions in the state, the forum also said that it would be more prudent on the part of the chief minister to look for amicable solutions instead of erroneously and emphatically asserting “spurious supremacy” that will only prove detrimental for the future of the state.
“As the head of the state, chief minister N Biren Singh should rather strive for peace and harmony and should be disillusioned to think that his government can willfully dictate against the will and wishes of the people”, it asserted.
While expressing unflinching support for all the tribal groups who have boldly stood and stand for the cause of the tribal land and rights, the Kuki Reformation Forum also supported and endorsed particularly the Committee on Protection and Preservation of Mount Koubru (COPPK), and Sadar Hills Chiefs’ Association (SAHILCA) who have been in the frontline against this “iniquitous insult against tribal land and rights”.