Sit in protest staged against the imposition of Forest act in Chingdai Area of Kangpokpi District

IT News
Imphal, May 31:

Hundreds of people today staged protest demonstration against the imposition of Forest act in Chingdai Area of Kangpokpi District today.
Several placard which reads “We opposed Indian Forest Act, 1927 and its amendment Act”, “ Colonial Rule & acts should not infringed the legal Rights of Tribal Chief”, “State Govt should implement Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Forest Rights) Act, 2006 enacted by the Parliament of India”, “Withdraw Indian Forest Act, 1927 and it’s Amendment Act from Tribal Villages”, “Forest is our life”, “Respect the Land ownership Rights of Tribals”, “We don’t want arbitrary rule of laws”, “Justice for Tribal people”, “ Khamenlok – Gwaltabi Reserved Forest has procedural lapsed and declared null & void”, “Khamenlok – Gwaltabi Reserved forest is without Consent & knowledge of Traditional Tribal Village Chiefs”, “Do not encroached our ancestral land”, “MLR act is not applicable in the hills, we paid Hill house tax”, “Proposed Khamenlok – Gwaltabi Reserved Forest, over the existence of Villages, is an imposition of Indian Forest act, 1927,
over the Tribal Rights, and is not acceptable”, “The Proposed & Declared Khamenlok – Gwaltabi Reserved Forest is without Knowledge and Consent of Existing Village Chief”, were displayed.
“Chingdai Area consist of 6 villages and settlement of this village is before India’s Independence. The Village chiefs said that they have no knowledge of Khamenlok-gwaltabi reserved forest, no notification from Forest department and settlement department have received during the Government propose Khamenlok-gwaltabi in the year 1946 in compliance with the Indian Forest act, 1927.
The protestors said that the Proposed Khamenlok – Gwaltabi Reserved Forest, over the existence of Villages, signed by Mr. Illigible the then President Manipur state durbar (Hills) include 10 Valley villages and 6 villages in Hills, unfortunately these villages have received no prior information regarding Reserved forest during the proposal time and till date.
The protestors appealed the State Govt to implement Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Forest Rights) Act, 2006 enacted by the Parliament of India immediately” assert Mr. Seilal Haokip, President of Chingdai Area Kuki Youth Organisation (CAKYO).
“We want peace and development not by trading with our tribal rights and we strongly opposed the imposition of Indian Forest act 1927 and Manipur Forest act 1971 and others amendment act in Khamenlok-gwaltabi range particularly in Chingdai Area without prior notification and consent of peoples and request the officials and employees of concern department to refrain from such unlawful activities in order to maintain peace, harmony and development in the state”, the protestors added.