People's initiatives on agriculture land management: A study of Tairenpokpi village of Imphal West District Manipur

In Manipur, the traditional governments system continues to manage the natural resources in larger areas of the stat even after the implementation of three tiers of institutions under the Indian Political System. The areas where this system is in vogue are in the entire hills districts and the foothills of all the Scheduled Caste Lois inhabited villages of Manipur. Tairenpokpi is one of the Scheduled Caste villages where the villagers control the larger community agriculture land (with a total area of 24.8 acres) of Umung Laokon and Tairenpokpi Laokon. Half of the landless farmers of the village are dependent on the community agricultural land. It was controlled by the Phamneiba for centuries. But recently, the control has been transferred to the Ahals. The village is located at the distance of 17 kilometres from Imphal City.

To explore the management of community agricultural land prevalent during the Phamneiba period.

To examine the factors leading to the transfer of management of community agricultural land management from the Phamneiba to the Ahals.

To study the present management system of community agriculture land. By the Ahals

A qualitative method was adopted for the study. Case studies and in-depth interviews were undertaken to collect data for the study.

The findings reveals that the community agricultural land has been the main source of income for celebrating festival of God and the minor maintenance of the intra-village road. The Ahals have been managing the community agricultural land more successfully than the government's institutions in the grassroots level.