More than three years after the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) unanimously passed 14 customary law bills for indigenous communities, the proposed legislation remains pending. The Tripura Tribal Customary Law Coordination Committee has urged Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha to expedite the codification process, saying the delay threatens the preservation of tribal customs and traditional governance.
Key Takeaways
- More than three years have passed since TTAADC unanimously approved 14 tribal customary law bills.
- The bills were passed on December 28, 2022, but are yet to receive final legal approval.
- The Tripura Tribal Customary Law Coordination Committee submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Manik Saha.
- The committee said only the Jamatia Customary Law has been codified so far.
- The proposed laws cover 14 tribal communities, including Tripuri, Reang, Chakma, Garo, Noatia and Mog.
- The committee warned that continued delay could affect the preservation of indigenous customs, traditions and rituals.
- The TTAADC was constituted under the Sixth Schedule in 1982 to safeguard tribal rights and customary practices.
Agartala: More than three years after the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) unanimously passed 14 customary law bills for various indigenous communities, the proposed legislations are yet to receive final approval, prompting fresh concerns over the prolonged delay in granting statutory recognition to tribal customary practices.
The issue resurfaced on Monday after the Tripura Tribal Customary Law Coordination Committee submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, seeking immediate intervention to expedite the codification process. The committee claimed that the delay has left several tribal communities without legal recognition of their traditional laws despite the TTAADC completing the legislative exercise in December 2022.
Bills passed in TTAADC unanimously in 2022
According to the memorandum, the TTAADC unanimously approved 14 customary law bills during its session held on December 28, 2022.
The proposed laws cover the customary practices of the Tripuri, Reang, Chakma, Garo, Uchoi, Noatia, Murasing, Kaipeng, Rupini, Hrankhawl, Mog, Mizo and Choroi communities.
The committee said the bills were subsequently forwarded to the Tribal Welfare Department of the state government for necessary action and for obtaining the Governor’s assent.
However, the process has remained incomplete.
The memorandum stated that some of the bills were later returned to the TTAADC for rectification of certain issues. Even after those developments, the codification process has not reached its conclusion.
The committee said the prolonged pendency has created uncertainty among the tribal communities that have long awaited formal legal recognition of their customary practices.
Demand dates back decades
The memorandum noted that the demand for codification predates the passage of the bills by several decades.
The TTAADC came into existence in 1982 under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to safeguard the socio-economic, cultural and administrative interests of the indigenous people of Tripura.
One of its longstanding objectives has been the preservation and recognition of tribal customary laws.
Despite more than four decades since the council’s establishment, only the Jamatia Customary Law has been codified into a formal legal framework.
The customary laws of other tribal communities continue to remain outside the statutory framework.
The committee argued that the delay has persisted despite repeated demands from indigenous organisations and traditional community leaders over the years.
Communities rely on traditional institutions
The memorandum highlighted that Tripura has 19 recognised Scheduled Tribe communities along with several sub-tribes.
Each community has its own customs, traditions, language and social institutions. Some communities also possess distinct scripts and religious practices.
The committee said tribal societies have historically resolved disputes through customary institutions and mediation rather than through police stations or regular courts.
According to the memorandum, these traditional systems continue to play an important role in maintaining social harmony within the communities.
It argued that codification would not replace these customs but provide them with formal legal recognition wherever applicable.
Concern over preservation of indigenous heritage
The committee also linked the pending legislation with the preservation of indigenous identity.
It said continued delay in codifying customary laws could weaken traditional institutions and affect the transmission of customs, rituals and indigenous faith to future generations.
“The non-codification of customary laws is threatening the extinction of the cultures, customs, indigenous faith, traditions and rituals of the Scheduled Tribe communities of Tripura,” the memorandum stated.
The committee maintained that legal recognition would strengthen efforts to preserve tribal identity while ensuring greater clarity in the application of customary practices.
Appeal to the Chief Minister
In its memorandum, the committee urged Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha to take immediate steps for early codification of the customary laws already approved by the autonomous district council.
It requested the state government to complete the remaining legal and administrative formalities so that the bills could receive the Governor’s assent at the earliest.
The committee expressed hope that the state government would act without further delay and allow the Scheduled Tribe communities to exercise their customary practices within a recognised legal framework.
The memorandum was submitted on behalf of the Tripura Tribal Customary Law Coordination Committee, which comprises traditional leaders and representatives of various Scheduled Tribe communities across the state.
Issue likely to remain in focus
The renewed demand has once again drawn attention to the status of customary law reforms in Tripura and the pace of processing legislations passed by the autonomous district council.
The outcome could have wider implications for the legal recognition of traditional governance systems under the Sixth Schedule.
With the 14 customary law bills still awaiting completion of the approval process more than three years after their unanimous passage, tribal organisations are expected to continue pressing the state government to expedite the long-pending exercise.
The state government has not yet issued any official statement on the latest memorandum or indicated a timeline for completing the codification process.
People Also Ask (PAA) Questions
- Why are the Tripura tribal customary law bills still pending?
- What are the 14 customary law bills passed by TTAADC?
- When did TTAADC approve the tribal customary law bills?
- Why is codification of tribal customary laws important in Tripura?
- What is the role of TTAADC under the Sixth Schedule?
