Overview

• A comparison of the Gazette of India copy with the Manipur Assembly’s published rules reveals a change from “of” to “or” in the clause on the appointment of chiefs or headmen.
• In a June 25 letter to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, former chief minister N Biren Singh requested an independent investigation and a comprehensive audit of villages and appointments made under the modified provision.
• Critics warn the linguistic swap opened the door to new village declarations and chief appointments without customary legitimacy.
• Manipur’s 1967 Hill Areas (Acquisition of Chiefs’ Rights) Act to abolish hereditary chieftainship was never operationalized, leaving traditional chiefs in control of land and governance.
• Civil society groups and legislators say the alteration has intensified disputes over land ownership, ethnic settlement patterns, and the official recognition of hill villages.