UKHRUL, MAY 16: Amid ongoing security concerns in the hill districts of Manipur, a crucial legal awareness program focused on anti-terrorism laws and tribal rights was organized on Saturday at the Awontang Community Hall in Ukhrul district headquarters. Jointly hosted by the Discussion Forum Ukhrul (DFU) and the All Hunphun Tangs Association (AHTA), the convention assessed the application and efficacy of India’s stringent anti-terror legislations in safeguarding civilians within Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.
Addressing the gathering as a resource person, Daniel Ramsan, Senior Advocate of the Manipur High Court and Chairman of Investigation at the Manipur State Commission for Scheduled Tribe (MSCST), spoke extensively on protecting tribal rights through existing constitutional and legal provisions.
Ramsan drew specific attention to the Manipur Village Authorities Act, 1956, emphasizing that it serves as a robust shield for tribal communities.
Under Section 16 of the Act, matters regarding local law and order are explicitly entrusted to village authorities.
Ramsan highlighted that village courts hold the legal mandate to try violations directly and can impose punitive measures, including imprisonment of up to one month.
Under the provisions of the Act, security forces or external entities are legally required to obtain permission from the respective village authorities before entering a village jurisdiction.
Ramsan urged the village authorities of the Tangkhul Naga community to thoroughly study the 1956 Act to fully grasp and exercise the administrative and judicial powers guaranteed to them.
A senior human rights activist Hungyohung Hungyo, launched a scathing critique against the Government of India (GoI), accusing it of deep insincerity and maintaining a double standard regarding the safety of the Naga people.
“We are Tangkhul Naga indigenous people. Our land was not snatched from anyone, nor was it given to us by the Government of India. We were here before India ever existed,” Hungyohung stated.
He further dismissed historical narratives by stating, “There is a Kuki rebellion that rebels against the Meitei, but there is no such thing as an Anglo-Kuki war.”
Hungyohung argued that while the Centre has historically enacted heavy-handed laws like the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), and continually refines the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), these mechanisms have completely failed to protect civilians in Manipur’s hill areas.
Hungyohung compared the current crisis to national security actions elsewhere, citing the 2025 Pahalgam attack in Jammu & Kashmir where the central government responded swiftly to a civilian massacre with a retaliatory surgical strike. In contrast, he alleged that despite three months of targeted gunfires affecting Tangkhul villages like Sinakeithei and settlements across the Litan area since February 7, the central government has failed to label the attackers as outlaws or an unlawful organization.
He noted that residents in these border areas remain trapped and unable to move freely due to the persistent threat of crossfire, demanding that the government act impartially to uphold equal constitutional protections.
Hungyohung reported that several Tangkhul villages, including Sinakeithei and settlements across the Litan area, remain paralyzed. Residents are currently unable to move freely or tend to their livelihoods due to the persistent threat of crossfire and sniper bullets. He demanded that the central government act impartially to ensure equal constitutional protection for all citizens.
To clear up widespread ambiguities regarding what legally constitutes terrorism, Advocate Daniel Ramsan broke down the statutory mechanics of the law, referencing the standard language adopted in modern Indian anti-terror frameworks (Section 15 of the UAPA/Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita systems).
Under the statutory definition, a Terrorist Act is established when any person commits an act with the intent to threate
or cause actions likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security, economic security, or sovereignty of India, or to strike terror in the people through:
Using bombs, dynamite, firearms, lethal weapons, inflammable substances, or hazardous biological/nuclear materials. Causing death or injury to persons; destroying property used for national defense or public infrastructure; or disrupting essential community supplies and services.
Damaging the monetary stability of the country via the production, smuggling, or circulation of high-quality counterfeit currency.
Overawing public functionaries by criminal force, or kidnapping/abducting individuals to compel state or international governments to act or abstain from acting.
According to LM Thanmi, the co-convener of the DFU, the primary objective of the seminar was to arm local leaders with this exact legal literacy, allowing grassroots communities to systematically document violations and tackle prevailing geopolitical vulnerabilities through institutional procedures.