A new tribal committee in Manipur has decided to take up the issue of “overlapping villages of the hill districts with the valley districts”, following the “notification of the Revenue department of the Manipur government in October, 2022”.
The newly formed tribal body christened as "Joint Coordination Committee on Tribal Rights, Manipur" was formed following a joint meeting “of district civil society organisation leaders of Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Jiribam districts in Imphal today “on the issue of overlapping villages of the hill districts with the valley districts as per the notification of the Revenue department, Government of Manipur in October, 2022,” said Lunjapao Simte and Thangkam Lupheng in a press statement.
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The statement said that a 15-member executive committee was elected with Lunjapao Simte as president, A Khulphun Maring and Lunthang Haokip as vice presidents. The meeting also elected Dr ML Dominic Maring as general secretary and seven others as executive members and two advisors.
The statement then said that the meeting resolved to give an ultimatum to the state government for immediate cancellation of the said notification regarding the overlapping villages of the hill districts. “The main objective of the committee is to protect the rights and land of the tribal people in accordance with the laws of the land,” the statement added.