Against forced acquisition of tribal land protest ignites in Kangpokpi

Imphal: A public rally was staged on August 8 at Makhan/Makhen Village under Kangpokpi district, Manipur to protest against the state government’s alleged forceful acquisition of 130 acres of tribal land for army settlement.

Addressing the media, Kailanmdinang Abonmei, the Village Chief of Makhan, expressed the community’s strong condemnation of the government’s decision. He claimed that the matter was discussed and approved during a Manipur Cabinet Meeting on January 15, without the knowledge or consent of the village authorities.

“The proposed land is a tribal land belonging to Makhan Liangmai Naga Village. This is an enormously hostile decision by the Cabinet to try to grab the land without the consent of the landowners,” Abonmei said, disagreeing with the government’s move.

The village chief argued that the land in question is the community’s only farmland, where the people have practiced agriculture and allied activities for generations. He vowed that the villagers would oppose the acquisition with their “life and death,” as the land is their “soul, bread and water.”

Abonmei also alleged that the government had previously acquired 87 acres of land from the Makhan Village for the Leimakhong Army, without providing adequate compensation.

Further, he claimed that another 301 acres of land had been acquired for the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University-Regional Campus, Manipur (IGNTU-RCM), yet to be compensated.

The protesters expressed their determination to safeguard their ancestral land, which they see as the foundation of their livelihood and identity.