Article 371-C gave Manipur a Hill Areas Committee (HAC) with specific responsibilities to make laws for the administration of Hill Areas in partnership with the State government and Assembly. This exposition is to inform the tribal people in the Hill Areas that regardless of obstructions or delaying tactics that may be mounted against legislations initiated by HAC, the constitutional scheme for administration of Hill Areas given by Article 371-C has sufficient provisions to ensure that laws for administration of Hill Areas are made in the manner as provided in the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972.
The reasons for the positive outlook are as follows:-
(1) The MLAs elected from the Hill Areas are charged with the work of conceptualisation, drafting of Bills for legislation of laws for Hill Areas on any Scheduled Matters (Read paragraph 4(1), (2), (3) and the Second Schedule of Presidential Order of 1972 also known as the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Order, 1972). Legislation involves drafting, debating, amending, and voting on bills (proposed laws), and that’s the job given to HAC for making laws in partnership with the State government on specified Scheduled Matters for Hill Areas.
(2) In the process of legislation initiated by HAC recommending a Bill for Hill Areas by a resolution to the State government, the council (read as State Cabinet) under Rule 12-A of the Rules of Business of the Government of Manipur, 1972 has to “normally give effect to the recommendation of the Hill Areas Committee under sub-paragraph (3) of paragraph 4 of the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Order, 1972”. Herein lies the role of the HAC and State government to work in harmony for improving the administration of Hill Areas. Rule 12-A ibid gives an option to the council i.e. – “but if the Council is of the opinion that it would not be expedient to do so or that the Hill Areas Committee was not competent to make any such recommendations, the matter shall be referred to the Governor whose decision thereon shall be final and binding on the Council and action shall be taken accordingly”.
Two things could happen; the Governor disagree with the opinion of the council, then the HAC recommended Bill is to be tabled by the State government in the Assembly and would go through the process of legislation. On the other hand, the Governor could agree with the opinion of the council in which case the Bill stands dropped, but it would not prevent the HAC from recommending another version of a Bill for Hill Areas. The procedure does not give the option to the State government for substituting its own version ignoring the HAC recommended Bill.
(3) In the composition of the council of ministers in Manipur, there have always been four ministers from the Hill Areas who are also members of the HAC and would have been party to the resolution recommending the HAC-drafted Bill to the State government. Their presence in the council would allow explanation and clarification of any doubts regarding the HAC-recommended Bill. In case there is a difference in opinion in the council, they can ask for their dissent to be recorded in the minutes of the cabinet meeting, ensuring transparency and accountability. Their presence is the greatest strength for the people in Hill Areas, and if the ministers from Hill Areas are not able to convince their Cabinet colleagues, they should resign from the Cabinet lest the people from Hill Areas hold them accountable for their failure and ineffectiveness.
(4) The HAC Bill, once recommended by a resolution to the State government, does not expire till its logical conclusion as provided in the Rules of Business of the Government of Manipur (1972) for the State government and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, 1964, in respect of the Assembly. Over and above this, there is the provision for seeking the intervention of the Governor or President to rectify any situation to give law for Hill Areas to run its administration. The HAC Bill would not lapse or expire with the change in State government or the constitution of a new Assembly following a general election. The HAC and its successors have the responsibility to follow up the legislations recommended to the State government in case the HAC recommended Bill is kept pending by the State government and also seek intervention of the Governor if the matter is not referred to him (Paragraph 5 of the Presidential Order of 1972 and rule 12-A of the Rules of Business of the Government of Manipur, 1972).
(5) When the State government “normally gives effect to the recommendation of the Hill Areas Committee” and tables the HAC recommended Bill in the Assembly (as provided under paragraph 4(2) of the Presidential Order of 1972 for consideration and report; and rule 140 with the member-in-charge making the following motion – “That it be referred to the Hill Areas Committee”), the HAC recommended Bill would go through the process of consideration of the tabled Bill and make its report (under rule 157-A(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, 1964); and recommendation (under paragraph 5 of the Presidential Order of 1972) to the Assembly. This process and procedure enable the HAC to propose amendments in the HAC proposed Bill by taking into consideration any advice for changes, concerns, and suggestions made by the State government, formally or informally, affording the HAC an opportunity to incorporate them, if deemed necessary, in the Bill, and these would be reported and recommended by it to the Assembly. This is an important process in the consideration of legislation by the HAC to work in tandem with the State government and legislature.
(6) When the report and recommendations of HAC are made to the Assembly, but the Bill as reported by the HAC in its report is passed by the Assembly in a form which is substantially different from that as reported by the Hill Areas Committee, or is rejected by the Assembly, the Speaker has been given the duty to submit the matter in its entirety to the Governor. Rule 157A(1) has visualised this scenario as follows: “When a Bill as reported by the Areas Committee is not passed by the Assembly in the form in which it has been reported but is passed in a form which, in the opinion of the Speaker, is substantially different from that as reported by the Hill Areas Committee, or is rejected by the Assembly, the Speaker shall submit to the Governor:
“(a) in any case where the Bill has been passed by the Assembly in a substantially different form, the Bill as passed by the Assembly together with the Bill as reported by the Hill Areas Committee.
(b) in any case where the Bill is rejected by the Assembly, the Bill as reported by the Hill Areas
Committee.”
Further, Rule 157A(2) of the Rule ibid visualises another scenario, i.e.,
“(2) When a Bill is not approved by the Hill Areas Committee but is passed by the Assembly, the Speaker shall submit to the Governor the Bill as passed by the Assembly together with the report of the Hill Areas Committee.”
There is another role for the Governor under Rule 157A(3) of Rule ibid, i.e.:
“(3) The Governor shall, as soon as possible after the submission to him of the Bill, return the Bill to the Assembly with a message recommending either that the Bill be withdrawn or that it be passed in the form in which it has been reported by the Hill Areas Committee or in the form in which it has been passed by the Assembly. The message received from the Governor shall be reported by the Speaker to the Assembly, and accordingly the Bill shall be deemed to have been withdrawn, or as the case may be, deemed to have been passed by the Assembly in the form recommended by the Governor”.
The Governor would have the following options:
Return the Bill to the Assembly with a message recommending either that:
(a) the Bill be withdrawn, or
(b) the Bill be passed in the form in which it has been reported by the Hill Areas Committee, or
(c) the Bill be passed in the form in which it has been passed by the Assembly.
And the message received from the Governor shall be reported by the Speaker to the Assembly, and accordingly the Bill shall be deemed to have been withdrawn, or as the case may be, deemed to have been passed by the Assembly in the form recommended by the Governor. (Read rule 12-A of the Rules of Business of the Government of Manipur, 1972; rule 139, 140, 157-A (1), (2) and (3) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, 1964; paragraph 9 of the Presidential Order of 1972; and Article 371-C(2) giving special responsibilities to the Governor).
This implies that even if the Assembly distorts the Bill while enacting it into law, in partial or total disregard of the HAC reported and recommended Bill, the matter has to be submitted to the Governor by the Speaker in its entirety, and the Governor’s decision is final. With such provisions made by Article 371-C, the Hill Areas will have some form of laws ultimately. The question of Hill Areas having no laws does not arise.
(7) The Second Schedule of the 1972 Order has listed several Scheduled Matters for legislation, i.e. laws which can be initiated by the HAC and made into law by enactment by the Assembly, and they include: – Power and functioning of District Councils; allotment, occupation, or use, or the setting apart of land; management of any forest not being a reserved forest; use of any canal or water course for purposes of agriculture; regulation of the practice of Jhum; establishment of Village Committees or Councils (should be understood as Village Authorities) and their powers and other matters relating to village administration; public health and sanitation; appointment or succession of Chief or Headman; inheritance of property; marriage and divorce; and social customs.
This list can be enlarged by including any other matter which the Assembly may by resolution declare to be a matter which shall
come within the purview of the Hill Areas Committee. (Paragraph 13 of the Second Schedule of the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972). This particular provision is very important as more items can be added to the Schedule Matters for HAC to smoothen the administration of Hill Areas. For this to happen, the goodwill of MLAs from other communities in the State is required.
(8) Article 371-C(2) provides an overarching role for the President of India, who can ask for a report from the Governor, apart from the annual report, regarding the administration of the Hill Areas in the State of Manipur, and the executive power of the Union shall extend to the giving of directions to the State as to the administration of the said areas. This means that the Government of India can issue directions to the State government regarding the making of laws on specified Scheduled Matters for the administration of the Hill Areas. The executive power of the Union can be made in any manner that would aid the smooth and streamlined functioning of the administration of hill areas as visualised by Article 371-C(2).
Finally, there is the issue of which method of law making is better for local self-governments; i.e. the law-making power of the Sixth Schedule under Article 244(2) and Article 244-A given to the autonomous district councils requiring only the approval of the Governor without involvement of the State government or Assembly, or the complex system of legislation given to HAC under Article 371-C and the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972 for the administration of Hill Areas. The road under Article 371-C can be smooth or full of obstructions, but there are sufficient provisions to ensure that HAC will ultimately triumph by having laws even if it is through the tedious route of obstructions. This unique system of law making is already available to be implemented, and since no serious attempts have been made to implement the scheme for administration of Hill Areas envisaged by Article 371-C so far, apart from the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Bill of 2021 which is pending with the State government for the last four years, this system deserves a shot. If it fails on account of unreasonable obstruction or otherwise, the people from Hill Areas can demand for another administrative system. It is tempting to prefer the Sixth Schedule system as the law making process involved only the approval of the Governor, but it should not be forgotten that every time a demand has to be made, the Government of India will be involved as an amendment of the Constitution would be required. In the case of Article 371-C and the Presidential Order dated 20th June 1972, the demand to enhance autonomy by including more items/subjects under Scheduled Matters for Hill Areas to fall within the purview of HAC is to be negotiated with the State government and declared by a resolution by the Assembly. GOI would not be involved (Read paragraph 13 of the Second Schedule of the Presidential Order of 1972 which states – “(13) Any other matter which the Assembly may by resolution declare to be a matter which shall come within the purview of the Hill Areas Committee.”
Conclusion
The scheme of legislation and administration of the Hill Areas of Manipur is already provided by Article 371-C. The scheme recognises the need to protect the tribes living in the Hill Areas by giving them laws to be drafted by the HAC and made into law in partnership with the State government and the Assembly. The legislation is to be piloted by the HAC and facilitated by the State government through the Assembly. Moreover, in case of road blocks, the oversight responsibilities of the Governor and the overarching role of the President are available to ensure that the administration of the Hill Areas works efficiently and effectively and laws to be implemented by the local self-government agencies are enacted one way or the other. With obstructions, the process may be long and tedious, but nevertheless, laws on Scheduled Matters for the Hill Areas will ultimately be enacted. This process of law-making and empowerment of the administration of Hill Areas should be smoothly executed if the people of the State, the majority community, and the tribes in the hill areas want to live in peaceful coexistence and harmony.
Ngaranmi Shimray
New Delhi
20th December 2025
