The story of two borders
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 07, 2013 -

Indo-Myanmar Friendship Gate at Moreh , a border town between India and Myanma :: Pix - CK Sharma

The surging patriotism and the furore of mainstream media over the alleged loss of 640 sq km of Indian territory to China along the Line of Actual Control has come as a sad reminder to the people of Manipur on New Delhi' distant silence and indifference over the ongoing border fencing along the yet to be demarcated Indo-Myanmar International boundary at Moreh that would ultimately lead to loss of a large chunk of Indian land to Myanmar.

Even though Shyam Saran, the highly-regarded former diplomat, whose alleged report has sparked off the latest furore, has clarified time and again that he had never said or written China has occupied 640 square kilometres of Indian-claimed territory nor has he authored any report on the issue for the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), as reported widely, mainstream media has generated so much heat on the issue of Line of Actual Control that Union Defence Minister AK Antony was compelled to roar like a General when he said, "There is no question of India ceding to China any part of Indian territory.

This government keeps a constant watch on India's security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard it".

It is true that India and China do not have a defined Line of Actual Control.

So, whether India has actually lost anything or China has actually gained anything is yet to be confirmed or known.

Moreover, the frenzy mainstream media has not been able to throw any light on what is actually going on along Indo-China border, apart from harping on a report, which may or not exist.

On the other hand, the loss of large tract of land of Manipur to Myanmar from the ongoing border fencing along Indo-Myanmar International boundary, incursion of Myammarese Army on the Indian side of the border and clearing of forest area for setting up their base camp are very much a reality.

Various surveys and inspections conducted by civil society organizations on their own accord have already confirmed how Manipur stands to lose from the ongoing border fencing.

But with New Delhi and the mainstream media not able to see the seriousness of the issue, Myamarese authority seems to have been only emboldened in its plan to gain the maximum from the ongoing border fencing along the areas of missing border pillars.

Now, the latest report that has come in from the tribal villagers living in the border areas said that the Myanmarese Army has asked them to demolish houses and churches at Haolenphai claiming the land to be ‘areas of Myanmar'.

The villagers have also conveyed that border fencing, which is now being constructed under the supervision of Assam Rifles, is one km deep inside Manipur's territory and not 10 km as agreed upon and Myanmarese army is also carrying on with the construction works of their army camp at Hollenphai village without any interruption from any quarters.

From this story of two borders, it is very apparent New Delhi is definitely too far away for the people of Manipur.