The Manipur crisis since 3rd May 2023 is not just a law and order crisis. It is a constitutional crisis. And at the heart of that constitutional crisis lies the deliberate, deafening silence of the very institutions created to protect Hill Areas — the Hill Areas Committee under Article 371C and the MP of Outer Manipur Constituency, which is reserved for ST.
And let it be stated with emphasis: Both the Chairman of HAC and the MP (Outer Manipur) are Nagas. The Chairman of HAC is a Naga elected by 19 Hill MLAs. The MP (Outer Manipur) is a Naga elected by the entire hill people of Manipur. They are not Meiteis who can claim ignorance of hill customs. They are not non-tribal who can claim no mandate. They are Nagas. Their blood is Naga blood. Their mandate is Naga mandate. Their voice is crucial in defending Naga historical rights and also sustainable peace roadmap in Manipur being the elected head of Hill Area Committee and the elected voice of Outer Manipur in Parliament.
If leaders refuse to do their job, what can people do? Manipur needs, a clear clarification that Nagas are not the problem makers nor the aggressors — the problem makers are non-Naga constitutionally, democratically and historically. But when our own Naga Chairman and our own Naga MP remain silent, the world is made to believe that Nagas have consented.
Article 371C not favour
Article 371C of the Constitution of India is not a decorative clause. It was inserted by the 27th Amendment Act, 1971, precisely because Parliament recognized that Hill Areas of Manipur were neglected for donkey years — neglected by valley-centric administration since 1949, neglected by 60-40 delimitation based on 1971 census, neglected by systematic denial of district offices, subdivisional offices, police stations, and development.
What does Article 371C provide?
1. A Hill Areas Committee comprising all 19 MLAs elected from Hill Areas of Manipur.
2. The Chairman of HAC is constitutionally elected to safeguard Hill Areas — and this Chairman is a Naga.
3. The MP (Outer Manipur) is the parliamentary guardian of this Hill Area, elected from Outer which is all hill districts — and this MP is also a Naga.
4. No Bill affecting Hill Areas regarding land, customary law, and polity shall be passed without reference to HAC.
5. The Governor has special responsibility to ensure HAC functions properly.
This is the only constitutional compensation given to the Nagas and other hill tribes for being historically neglected. Its significance must be safeguarded and enhanced, not diluted. And who is best placed to safeguard it? Two Nagas holding two most powerful constitutional chairs for Hill Areas — Chairman HAC in State, MP Outer in Centre.
Constitutionally, illegal villages, illegal immigrants or refugees are not permitted as per Article 371C. Why? Because Article 371C protects Hill Areas as defined by Presidential Order, protects land ownership under customary law, protects polity with practices. Any village not recognized by customary chief, not listed in 1956 or 1969 village list, not paying hill house tax, is illegal. Any immigrant or refugee settled after 1961 without customary consent is illegal. Any buffer zones created on Naga villages to settle Kuki refugees for a proposed UT is unconstitutional because HAC was never consulted.
Our Naga customary and polity with practices should be asserted openly under 371C. The Naga village customary law regarding land ownership, the traditional boundary determined by oral history and watershed — these are not folklore. These are constitutionally protected polity under 371C.
Violation of this Article by the State Government should be strongly highlighted in order to reclaim our every right for land, districts, subdivision offices, police station etc. So that it can pave new approach and engagement for settlement.
Where are our district headquarters? Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Chandel, Noney, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Pherzawl, Tengnoupal, — but how many have full-fledged DC office, SP office, functional sub-divisional offices with Naga officers? Where are the police stations that protects vulnerable Naga villages and villagers in conflict zones? Why are there buffer zones policed by Assam Rifles on Naga territory, but no Naga police station to register FIR for broken jaw of a Naga teacher at Litan Forest Beat Office on Feb 7, 2026 and other multiple killings of innocent Naga civilians(for instance)?
These are violations of 371C. And who is constitutionally mandated to raise these violations? The elected Chairman of HAC who is a Naga, and the elected MP Outer who is also a Naga.
Why both Naga HAC chairman, MP?
The elected Chairman of HAC is a Naga. The MP (Outer Manipur) is a Naga. Both being Nagas, their voice is crucial, their silence is more painful, and they need to do much more than what they are doing now.
When Naga villagers are being butchered, mutilated and captured, when innocent Naga blood is shed on Naga soil by armed Kuki groups building buffer zones for a separate Union Territory, when Kuki groups and her terrorists are conducting rampant terrorism against Naga villagers — yet HAC remains silent and MP Outer remains silent, it means accepting Kukis and their building buffer zones on Naga villages. And because both who are silent are Nagas, it is projected to Delhi and Imphal as if Nagas have accepted.
Silence is not neutrality. Silence is acceptance. Silence is constitutional surrender. Silence from a Naga HAC Chairman and a Naga MP is betrayal double-fold.
Why Chairman of HAC and MP (Outer Manipur), both Nagas, are silent till today?
Is it because empowerment with cabinet post, scheme, contract works, jobs etc. for few people for few years is more profitable than empowering with constitutional status for one peoplehood for generations? Is it because speaking truth about illegal villages and illegal immigrants will expose the illegal electoral rolls on which many were elected? Is it because condemning buffer zone terrorism will offend Delhi which gives them security cover?
Let us be brutally honest. If the Chairman of HAC, who is a Naga and constitutionally mandated to protect Hill Areas, does not condemn openly the creation of buffer zones on Naga villages in Noney, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Senapati, Chandel, Kangpokpi and foothills, then what is the use of having a Naga Chairman of HAC? If the ST MP Outer, who is a Naga and elected by ST people to represent ST rights in Parliament, does not raise in Lok Sabha that Article 371C is being violated by state government allowing illegal villages and refugee settlement on Naga territory, then what is the use of having a Naga MP Outer?
Both being Nagas, they must do much more than issuing one press release. Much more means:
Constitutional responsibility and accountability must be fixed for Naga security and also peaceful solution in Manipur and minority ST protection, and both Naga leaders must be held accountable.
The Naga Chairman of HAC must do much more:
1. Reject and Condemn Openly As Per Constitution — As A Naga: Issue an official HAC resolution as Chairman that no buffer zones are permitted on Naga ancestral territory without consent of HAC under 371C. Any buffer zones imposed after 3rd May 2023 on Naga villages are unconstitutional and must be vacated. Any UT demand that includes an inch of Naga territory from time immemorial listed in British maps and customary law is violation of 371C and must be rejected. Because you are a Naga, your condemnation carries historical weight.
2. Assert Naga Customary and Polity Openly — As A Naga and an indigenous: Under 371C, as HAC Chairman, assert that Naga land, village recognition, and Headmen can only be determined by Naga customary law, not by Manipur Government notification. Illegal villages created without HAC recommendation are void. This will reclaim our every right for land, districts, subdivision offices, police stations.
3. Highlight Violation By State Government — As A Naga Guardian: File a report to Governor under Para 4 of 371C that state government has violated HAC by not consulting HAC before creating buffer zones, before allowing Kuki SoO camps on Naga territory, before deferring delimitation under Section 10A since 2008. Demand Governor’s special responsibility be invoked.
4. Pave New Approach For Settlement — As A Naga Leader: Only when HAC Chairman clarifies that Nagas are not problem makers, only then can new engagement for settlement with Naga, Kuki and Meitei be paved.
The Naga MP (Outer Manipur) must do much more:
Because he is Naga and Outer MP, he must do much more than the Chairman. He is in Parliament.
He must raise in Parliament that Article 371C has been kept as dead letter for 50 years. Demand that delimitation 2027 must not be done without NRC, without identification of illegal villages and illegal immigrants, without consultation with HAC. Demand that Union Home Ministry clarify that SoO agreement and UT demand cannot include Naga territory protected under 371C. As a Naga MP, he must place on record that illegal villages, illegal immigrants or refugees are not permitted as per Article 371C constitutionally. As a Naga MP, he must demand a special inquiry into Litan Feb 7-9 arson, multiple killings of innocent Nagas by Kukis recently and buffer zone terrorism against Nagas.
If leaders refuse to do their job, what can people do? This is the most dangerous question for any democracy. When both constitutional guardians are Nagas and both become silent spectators while their own Naga people are butchered, people have only two options: perish in silence or rise with voice.
The Bible says in Ezekiel 33:6, “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.” Chairman of HAC is the constitutional watchman of Hill Areas and he is Naga. MP (Outer) is the parliamentary watchman of ST and he is Naga. If both Naga watchmen see the sword of UT being built on Naga villages and do not blow the trumpet, God and Constitution will hold them doubly accountable for Naga blood because they are Nagas themselves.
Nagas in general and Nagas of Manipur in particular must therefore demand to both Naga leaders: You are Nagas. You are not outsiders. You were elected by Nagas to protect Nagas. Speak now, do much more now, or resign. You cannot be elected Chairman of HAC constitutionally and remain silent constitutionally. You cannot be elected MP Outer constitutionally and remain silent constitutionally. You cannot be a Naga and remain silent when Naga historical rights are being mutilated.
History will not judge you by how many times you were elected on the chair or how many schemes you distributed. History will judge both of you, as Nagas, by whether you defended Article 371C and Naga territory when it was being violated right in front of your eyes while you were celebrating with beautiful slogans.
Let Naga HAC Chairman blow the trumpet loudly. Let Naga MP (Outer) blow the trumpet loudly in Parliament. Let both do much more. Let us reclaim every right for land, district, subdivision, police station, so that buffer zones do not become borders and borders do not become permanent bifurcation.
Kuknalim.
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Michael Meiphami Shaiza is Co-incharge of BJP Manipur State Political Programmes and Meetings and President of Ukhrul-based NGO Ecological Rehabilitators’ Association (ERA).
(Views expressed are writers’ own and do not, in whatsoever manner, reflect that of Ukhrul Now)
