Reported by
Legal Data by
Edited by
Updated by
Published on
April 18, 2023
May 8, 2023
Edited on
April 18, 2023
Land Area Affected (in Hectares)
Starting Year
K Songjang
Kungpinaosen, Noney, Ukhrul, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal and Jiribam
Churachandpur
Protected Areas
Derecognising 38 villages in the districts of Churachandpur and Noney
In February 2023, the Forest Department of Manipur along with police forces evicted the residents of a Kuki tribal village K Songjang in Churachandpur district. Located along the border of Churachandpur and Noney districts, the state government notified K. Songjang for eviction alleging that the village was encroaching on Churachandpur-Khoupum protected forest.
On February 15, the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur district ordered a verification drive to identify ‘illegal immigrants’ in several villages under the Churachandpur and Mualnuam sub-divisions in south Manipur. People believe it's illegal for the government to take over their ancestral lands by declaring them as reserved forests and wildlife sanctuaries.
On February 20, K. Songjang village was notified for eviction for being near the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected forest stretch. The government declared the houses that were constructed after 2021 as illegal and liable for eviction.
The eviction drive was executed on February 20 by the Noney Forest Division and state police officials**.** A show cause notice was served to Kungpinaosen village in the same district, directing the villagers to vacate the land for the same reason.
In March 2023, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a newly formed conglomerate of tribal groups, and Kuki Students Union (KSO) organised rallies in all the hills districts of Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal and Jiribam to protest the evictions. Protests were also held at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
In Kangpokpi district, the rally turned violent when the police used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. While the protestors resorted to stone pelting. Five people were reported to have been injured, including police personnel.
“The state government has declared a huge chunk of tribal-owned and inhabited hill areas as its land circumventing the forest-dwelling communities by depriving them of a consultation,” said Robert Thongkholal Haokip, an expert on North Eastern affairs, and an Assistant Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
With unique traditions, cultures, and dialects, the tribal communities have often been excluded from decision making processes in Manipur, affecting their lives and livelihoods. They have also been subjected to land grabs, forced displacement, and exploitation of natural resources, leading to poverty, social unrest, and loss of cultural identity.
The Manipur Forest Department issued a clarification stating that K. Songjang village is a new settlement established in 2021, much after the notification of the Protected Forest in 1966, and is therefore in violation of state forest conservation laws.
A complaint was filed before the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) on March 5, 2023, to quash the notification declaring the area as a forest land and against the wrongful use of police force. A notice was issued by the NCST to the state government on March 14, 2023. This notice asked the government to share all facts on the issue and the action taken report within fifteen days.
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Demand for legal recognition of land rights
1. Demand for a Southern Manipur Autonomous Territorial Council 2. Demand to stop the Govt. from acquiring indigenous tribal land by unconstitutionally declaring it as protected forest areas like Reserved forests, protected forest areas, Wildlife sanctuaries etc.
Rural
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Residential area, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence, Religious/Sacred/Cultural value, Non-agri rural enterprise
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Page Number In Investment Document:
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Non-implementation/violation of FRA
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
NCST/ATY-950/MN/1/2023-ESDW
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Lathicharge/teargas/pellets
Displacement
Other harassment
Physical attack
Surveillance
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Yes
Reported Details of the Violation:
In Kangpokpi, around 20 protesters were injured after the police allegedly resorted to tear gas to control the crowd. Several policemen sustained injuries too. On 10th March, a lady was beaten black and blue by the police forces when they approached to submit memorandum to the Deputy commissioner's office. They were intercepted by the authorities. They provoked and prohibited the protestors too. Police fired live bullets and 5 people were injured.
Date of Violation
March 9, 2023
Location of Violation
Kangpokpi
Nature of Protest
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Manipur forest department, Noney Forest Division, Office of the Deputy commissioner (Churachandpur), (Noney) (Kangpokpi)
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Kuki Sudents' Union (KSO), Kuki Innpi Manipur (KIM)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Peaceful protest rallies across the streets of Manipur
Image Credit:
Sasang Khaute
Image Credit:
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