Imphal Jul 31 UNA : The alleged loss of Manipur’s land because of the ongoing border fencing at the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur sector has not only drawn the attention of various civil organizations but also political parties.
A day after Manipur People’s Party (MPP) petitioned Prime Minister of India over the matter, opposition Manipur unit of Trinamool Congress Wednesday came down heavily Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh alleging that his government could not protect the territorial boundary of the state.
Based on the spot visit to some interior villages located near the international border with Myanmar, media in Imphal reported that Manipur is going to a large portion of the land because of the ongoing fencing at the Indo-Myanmar border being undertaken by the Centre.
The report presumed the land to be lost at around 500 sq km which is approximately the size of Bishnupur district, one of the nine districts of the state.
The media report was even discussed by a meeting of the cabinet convened under the chair of the chief minister O Ibobi Singh.
The discussion at the cabinet meeting only after the media reported the matter, was a sign of Manipur government having no prior knowledge of the ongoing fencing work at the border, the Manipur unit of Trinamool Congress alleged today.
Addressing to media to its office here, state unit President of the party, Kim Gangte questioned on chief minister O Ibobi’s alleged silent over border fencing which would lose a huge portion of Manipuri territory over the diktat of the central government.
He (Ibobi) is hell bent on not to lose even a single inch of the land in greater Nagaland issue,” she asked while alleging that taking up the matter in the cabinet meeting showed that the state government has no prior knowledge of what was going at the border of the state.
She alleged that the ongoing fencing work has affected to 14 villages of the state near the border and the Centre has taken up the work bypassing the state government. This showed that Centre is doing whatever they like against the interest of the state.
“It’s a shameful” and tantamount to intervene into the affairs of the state, Kim said, asking the importance of erecting concrete pillars and wires fencing along the borders if hurt the sentiment of the people.
Her party will take the matter to its Central leaderships as well to the notice of the central government, alleging that the border fencing work was taken up without studying international boundary map.
Noting the matter of losing the land and alleging at Manipur had already lost Kabow valley to the country (Myanmar), the MPP has also brought up the matter to the notice of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, in a memorandum submitted on Tuesday.
The memorandum demanded Prime Minister’s immediate intervene into the matter. Quoting media report the MPP memorandum mentioned that around 10 kilometers of land on the Indian side has been lost in the border fencing.
A 12-member team of the political party led by its general secretary M Singhajit has also left Imphal for Moreh today morning to take on spot account of the report. The team will look at the area where border fencing is going on, a party source said.
The Union Home Ministry has taken up the fencing work along the international borderline in Manipur sector with the objective of checking cross border illegal armed and drug trafficking in the region. Another purposed for the fencing was to curtail cross border movement of insurgents.
The first phase of fencing to 10 kms stretch of the border fencing from border no. 79 to 81 was near completion. But this would destroy the habitation of about 14 villages in Chandel district. Some of the villages would completely go to Myanmar while others would be dissected by the fencing.
Under the aegis of Information Centre for Hill areas Manipur (ICHAM), a team comprising members of Rural People’s Development Federation (RPDF), Kuki Students’ organization (Moreh block), Eastern Maring Association; Hill Tribal Council Moreh and Kuki Chiefs’ Association (Moreh block) had paid a visited to villages affected by the fencing work on July 26.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/loss-of-manipurs-land-to-myanmar/
