Farming Distress and Agrarian Crisis in the Hill Regions of Manipur: Land Systems and Structural Change*

The hill regions of Manipur are experiencing a deepening agrarian crisis, driven by food deficits, declining productivity and a regression into unsustainable Jhum cultivation. This article traces the historical evolution of land systems and examines how colonial-era protections of tribal common property regimes have led to structural agricultural stagnation. Using detailed village-level data, it highlights the contradictions of rising crop and occupational diversification amidst institutional inertia, elite capture and informal land privatisation. The article compares Naga and Kuki land systems to reveal how traditional land norms are being undermined by market forces and political dynamics, resulting in growing land disputes and failed agrarian transitions. The study argues that meaningful reform must reconcile customary practices with legal recognition, promote equitable land access and support high-value agricultural development in the tribal hills of Manipur.