TNL Demands Increase in Tribal MLA Seats and Bifurcation of Budget into Two Components

Ukhrul, May 14: The Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) has submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Manipur, demanding the immediate redressal of long-standing grievances concerning tribal representation in the legislature and the bifurcation of the state budget into two distinct components.

The memorandum states:
“Tangkhul Naga Long most respectfully beseeches your kind attention to the two most important and pressing issues mentioned above, for immediate action and redressal. History testifies that governance which thrives on hegemonic and colonialist philosophies against the weaker and poorer sections of society is doomed. Unfortunately, the state of Manipur is one such entity, and the reasons are as follows:”

“Manipur covers a geographical area of 20,330 sq. km, of which the valley comprises 2,000 sq. km, while the remaining 20,000 sq. km belong to the hills (tribal areas). The state has a population of 32 lakhs, with 17 lakhs residing in the valley and 15 lakhs in the hills.”

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“What is deeply troubling is the allocation of 40 out of 60 legislative assembly seats to the valley. As a result, each valley MLA represents an average of 50 sq. km and a population of 42,000. In stark contrast, only 19 seats are allocated to the hill districts, with each tribal MLA representing an average of 1,050 sq. km of difficult terrain and a population of 78,000.”

“Given these extreme disparities, which heavily disadvantage the already marginalized tribals—particularly the Nagas—we say plainly: ‘Enough is enough; no more coexistence’ unless the existing delimitations are thoroughly restructured to prioritize topography and then demography.”

“Worth quoting is what the Government of India has done for Arunachal Pradesh, a 100% tribal state. With half the population of Manipur but four times the land area, Arunachal has a 60-member legislature and two MPs. The state has far outperformed Manipur on various socio-economic development parameters.”

“By any standard of law, norms, or common sense, the tribals of Manipur should be allocated no fewer than 35 legislative seats—22 for the Nagas and 13 for the Chin-Kuki communities. The current situation reflects a clear contrast: the valley elevated to prosperity, while the hills are left behind through sheer constitutional manipulation. The status quo must be dismantled in favor of fair and just restructuring. Anyone opposing this necessary revamp will be solely responsible for the breakdown of coexistence.”

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“The second critical issue lies at the root of chronic misgovernance in Manipur since statehood in 1972: the failure to bifurcate the state budget. Instead of separate budgets for the valley (general) and the hills (tribals), as envisaged under Article 371C of the Constitution and the Presidential Order dated 20.06.1972 (Section 4, Clauses 3 & 4), the state government has persistently followed a single consolidated budget. This has enabled arbitrary allocations and the diversion of 70–80% of funds meant for the hills.”

“We assure Your Honor that any objective review of fund allocations—sector-wise, head-wise, and district-wise—will reveal the exploitative and arbitrary nature of Manipur’s governance model. All grand claims of development will not withstand fact-checking. The pillars of constitutional democracy—governance of the people, for the people, and by the people—are upheld by justice, equity, liberty, and compassion. These values, however, have been systematically eroded to enforce hegemonic rule over the tribals, particularly the Nagas, since independence.”

“Sir, we are only asking for what is already provided in the Constitution—nothing more, nothing less. Today, we Nagas declare unequivocally that we will no longer bear the pain and shame of injustice, deprivation, and marginalization. Further denial of our constitutional rights will only result in a non-negotiable end to coexistence.”

“In all humility, we beseech Your Honor for decisive intervention in the matters highlighted above.”