Sikkim: Govt brings in major land reforms; restricts sale and purchase of private land holdings within specific communities
The Pawan Chamling government in Sikkim has brought in a range of land reforms to restrict the sale and purchase of private land holdings within specific communities.
Chief minister Chamling told reporters after the cabinet took the decision on June 3 that the move had been made to protect land belonging to different communities living in the state and ensuring that the next generation didn’t become landless.
Pawan Chamling. Credit: PTI
As per local media reports, the latest reforms are in line with the existing prohibition of sale and purchase of land belonging to the Bhutia-Lepcha community. “Henceforth, the lands belonging to the Limboo and Tamang communities would not be allowed to be purchased by other communities. Such lands would be allowed to be sold and purchased within the Limboo and Tamang communities only, like the land protection for the Bhutia and Lepcha communities. Other communities cannot buy land of the Limboo and Tamang communities,” Chamling reportedly announced at a public meeting in Gangtok.
The new reform rules on private holdings also include other communities like the other backward classes that feature in the state and central lists and the scheduled caste communities living in the state. These communities can sell or purchase land that are not more than 10 acres within their communities. They can sell their land to others only if they are more than 10 acres. The rules say that if anyone holding less than 10 acres wishes to sell to someone not belonging to their community in emergency situations, they would have to seek prior permission from the government authorities.
A rule has also been brought in by the Sikkim Democratic Front government in regard to Sikkimese women married to non-Sikkimese. They would have to register their land inheritance in their names only. A notification to this effect was issued on June 6.
The government’s decision has attracted the ire of the state’s Sherpa community. In a press statement on June 6, Denzong Sherpa Association, the community’s apex body, said the chief minister’s announcement “alienating Sherpa from land rights has immensely hurt the sentiments of the community…it is now evident that the demand of land protection of Sherpa udner Revenue Order No. 1 has been side lined by the Chamling government. Therefore, the Sherpas of Sikkim will now decide its social and political future on its own.”
Nagaland: Cabinet decides to oppose Citizenship Bill
A meeting of the Nagaland cabinet, held this past June 5, decided to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, brought by the Narendra Modi government to grant Indian nationality to Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis belonging to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan on religious grounds.
State chief minister and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio told reporters on June 6 that the cabinet discussed the issue at length and decided to go against the Bill “if it is against the interest of the Nagas”.
Neiphiu Rio. Credit: PTI
He said he would “take up the issue with the Centre” if required. Media reports said the leader of the coalition partner of the BJP, however, added, “The state cabinet is of the view that Nagaland is protected under Article 371(A) of the Constitution and the Inner Line Permit regulations.”
A week ago, the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) also voiced its opposition to the Bill and urged the state government to pass a resolution against it like the Meghalaya government did last month. Both Meghalaya and Nagaland governments are led by regional political parties which have BJP as coalition partners.
In a statement that called the proposed legislation “subjective and communal”, NTC said “Granting citizenship on religious consideration is dangerous and against secular principle of India.”
The Bill was tabled by the Modi government in the Lok Sabha in 2016, triggering a strong spell of protest against it in Nagaland’s neighbouring state Assam. The opposition led the Lok Sabha Speaker to hand over the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee which is yet to submit its report.
A majority of Assam’s population is opposed to the Bill as it would dilute the main clause of the Assam Accord of 1985, signed after a six-year-old agitation. If the Bill becomes an Act, it would segregate the undocumented immigrants from that country in terms of religion and grant them citizenship.
Arunachal Pradesh: Tension along Assam-Arunachal border over road construction; paramilitary forces deployed
Tension along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border has been reported this week after an Assam-based company began constructing a road “by dumping sand on wet-rice cultivation land belonging to 10 households living inside Arunachal”. The sanction to construct the road was given to the private company by the Missing Autonomous Council (MAC) that represents the Mishing community of Assam. Its jurisdiction covers the state’s Dhemaji district bordering Arunachal.
Assam-Arunachal border. Credit: Wikimapia
As per local reports from Itanagar, the encroachment was first reported on May 19 from Hime village, situated along the border in Kangku circle of Arunachal’s Lower Siang district. Though both sides agreed to maintain status quo following the intervention of the district administration of Lower Siang and Dhemaji in Assam and paramilitary forces were deployed to keep peace, villagers of Hime alleged that work resumed after a few days.
However, an Arunachal Times report said on June 6, “When contacted, Dhemaji (Assam) deputy commissioner Roshni Kothari denied that any construction work was taking place in the area.”
She was quoted as saying, “We have halted the construction. As of now, there are no activities at the controversial site.”
Tensions along the Assam-Arunachal border have been a recurring phenomenon. In 2010, two houses of a small Assamese tea grower were reportedly set ablaze by miscreants in Charaipung area, leading to unrest in the area. In 2009, more trouble was reported along the border reportedly due to destruction of paddy fields of some Assamese villagers in Lakhimpur district allegedly by officials from Arunachal. Paramilitary forces were deployed to maintain peace. In 2014, at least 15 people were reportedly killed along the border leading the authorities to clamp down Section 144.
