KISG petitions NCST on police boundary issue
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 21 2013:
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has been apprised by the Kuki Inpi, Saikul Gamkai (KISG) for the intervention on the issue of police district boundary affecting several tribal areas and villages in Senapati district of Manipur.
Signed by its president Thangkam Lupheng, a memorandum of KISG addressed to the NCST chairman said in the year 2011, the Home department, government of Manipur issued a notification for creation of some police stations under Imphal East District Police and Thoubal District Police (Both valley districts) .
"These notifications or orders were issued secretly without the knowledge and information of the concerned public as the same is being known to the people only in the middle part of 2013," alleged the KISG memorandum.
According to the said notification or orders, more than 120 villages of Saikul sub-divsion, Senapati district and some villages of Ukhrul district (Senapati & Ukhrul are hill districts inhabited by tribal people) have been included in and under the jurisdictions of valley police stations of imphal east thoubal districts, mentioned the memorandum.
It also said some police stations such as Maphou Dam police station, Yaingangpokpi police station and Purum Likli police station are constructed in tribal villages of Saikul block, Senapati district but placed under the jurisdictions of valley districts police.
"We are not against the opening of police stations or out posts for security and maintenance of Law &order, howsever, we are totally opposed to the arrangement of the state government based on biased and dominating attitude where in, various tribal villages are included in valley districts in the name of security and conveniences for co-ordination and communications," the KISG memo added.
According to the KISG, the State Government can created police stations in any parts within Senapati district under Senapati district police if it is deemed necessary.
The inclusion of tribal villages in the police Jurisdiction of neighboring valley districts is a one-sided arrangement with hidden policy to encroach upon tribal land and villages.
"The state home department's notification or order of 2011 will certainly cause problems like encroachment on tribal ancestral land, over-lapping in administrative functioning's of sub-divisions and districts and distortion of the existing district boundaries and many more," it said.
The joint committee of KISG and Saikul Area Naga Peoples Organisation (SAN-PO) submitted a memo- randum on September 25, 2013 to the Manipur deputy chief minister of Manipur (who is also incharge of Home Affairs) demanding for immediate cancellation of the said Notification/order.
However, nothing is being done on the matter till date, the memorandum also stated.
"From the above facts, it is crystal clear repeated attempts have been made in one pretext or the other to distort the existing districts boundaries for subsequent encroachment on the ancestral land or villages of the tribal people.
Therefore, we are constrained to approach the Commission so that justice is done to the helpless tribal of Senapati district and for protection of our ancestral land from being encroached upon," KISG memorandum said.
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