India, March 5 -- The Manipur assembly on Monday passed a legislation that makes it punishable to rename places by a prison term that could extend to three years and fines of up to Rs.2 lakhs.
The Manipur Name of Places Bill, 2024 was unanimously passed by the assembly on Monday in the backdrop of the ongoing ethnic strife between Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities with instances of one community trying to change official names of places more populated with members of the other community.
"The Manipur state government is serious about protecting our history, cultural heritage and the legacy passed down by the ancestors and forefathers," chief minister N Biren Singh posted on X.
"We will not tolerate renaming and misusing names of places ...