IMPHAL, Aug 20 NNN : More news on the loss of the territory of India to Myanmar due to border fencing has been revealed following the spot survey conducted by women based organisations of Manipur to Indo-Myanmar border from August 18 to 19.
Led by All Manipur Nupi Marup, women organisations such as Kha Nongpok Apunba Nupi Lup and Muslim Women Development Association accompanied by one ASI (police) Md Roshan conducted a spot survey along Border Pillar number 76, 77, 78 and 79 and found that a large portion of Manipur territory had gone to Myanmar side after the controversial border fencing work.
Talking to reporters here, All Manipur Nupi Marup president L Sumatibala said Tamil Durga Mandir and Sewa Mandir built in 1964 along Nampholong Bazar to Tamu road have gone to Myanmar side after the recent border fencing work. The Nupi Marup leader also said Muslim Basti public well at Border Pillar No.79 had also gone to Myanmar side.
“Is this the gifts of the Congress government to Myanmar?” asked L Sumatibala. She said these things have happened again when the people are still angry when Jawaharlal Nehru had given Manipur’s Kabo Valley to Myanmar. “What hidden agenda the government has?” Sumatibala further questions.
According to these women organisations, during their survey they had also met Molphai village chief Yomkholun Haokip who narrated that the J.T. Road, a pucca construction had gone to Myanmar and also that Border Pillar No.23 erected by the Assam Rifles had been replaced with Border Pillar No 76 by the Myanmar authority.
It can be recalled here that in the first week of August, the Ministry of Home Affairs, government of India in a statement had said, “Without the settlement of the International Boundary along with Boundary Pillars on Indo-Myanmar border, it is not possible to arrive at a definitive conclusion that a particular village or land is going to be lost. For the benefit of readers, it is further clarified that the on-going fencing work is restricted to only 10 km for the present and no further work will be undertaken unless all the Boundary Pillars are finally settled through joint inspection by the National Survey Authorities of the two countries as well as the Survey & Settlement Officers and Staff of the State.”
Strongly refuting the statement of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the loss of certain parts of Manipur territory to Myanmar, the United Committee, Manipur (UCM), one of the biggest NGOs in Manipur had alleged on August 11 that many villages of Chandel district in Manipur have been included in the side of Myanmar due to the border fencing work.
UCM president Y Nabachandra had clarified that on August 8, a UCM team consisted of 13 members and journalists had paied a visit to the border area of Moreh-Tamu border to get the first hand report and noticed that several villages on the Indian side have been included in the Myanmar side by the border fencing.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had said no fencing work was started in the border pillar 79 due to dispute with Myanmar in the area but on the contrary, the work had started from Gobijang till Jangnoi village and 11 households of Gobijang village in the area have already been included in the Myanmar side by the border fencing,” the UCM president pointed out. He said, “About 150 metres of Manipur territory inherited from our forefathers will be lost to Myanmar due to border fencing work,” Nabachandra had said.
The UCM chief then urged the government to intervene immediately on the matter.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/spot-verification-proves-loss-of-manipurs-land/
