'Remove AR from Langthabal hill'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 20 2017:
Langthabal Konung Protection Committee has threatened to take legal action if the State Government and the authorities concerned do not relocate the Assam Rifles camp which has been posted atop the historical monument site of Langthabal hill for quite sometime now.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press club today, Khongbantabam Giteshor pointed out that the hill, which was once the capital of the State, was declared a pro tected historical site through a gazette notification by the State Govemment on September 9,1981, under Section 4 sub section 1 of the Manipur Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act, 1976 .
Giteshor said, "It is really unfortunate that the protected site remains only in name as the hill has been turned into a Company Operating Base (COB) of the Assam Rifles.
"The State Government is violating the Act by permitting para military forces to operate on protected sites for such a long duration", he said.
He alleged that keeping such COB on the historical hill, which incidentally is located inside Manipur University campus, has a negative impact on the overall academic atmosphere of the University.
Giteshor further accused the State Government of failing its duty to maintain and preserve such an ancient and historical site of the State and added that the site which was once the capital of the State would slowly fade and disappear.
He urged the State Government to relocate the Assam Rifles camp at the earliest and to stop the infrastructure constructions in and around the area in order to save the historical site.
'The Committee will take the help of the judiciary if the State Government fails to heed our requests", he said .