Passed in 1967, the act is yet to be implemented, thus enabling the chieftains to continue establishing villages as per their hereditary practices.
Elaborating on the same, BJP legislator Rajkumar Imo Singh said, “A very important statement by the CM that the state government will consult and take appropriate steps for the implementation of The Manipur Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act 1967. This Act was passed by the Assembly on Jan 10, 1967 to abolish the hereditary chieftainship. The President of India gave assent to the Bill on 14th June 1967. One can see the exponential growth of villages in these places. Manipur is the only state where this act isn’t implemented. Even a state like Mizoram had implemented a similar act for abolishing chieftainship way back in 1954 when it was a part of Assam.”
The institution of hereditary chieftainship was abolished in the Chin Hills of Burma (Myanmar) in February 1948. The act was enacted in Manipur to abolish the institution of hereditary chieftainship but it was not implemented owing to opposition from the Kuki community.
Immigrants in state
The chief minister informed the assembly that out of the total 6,746 illegal Myanmar immigrants found since the ongoing ethnic conflict unfolded on May 3, 2023 till February 27, 2024, 259 were pushed back to their country after recording their biometrics details.