Thadou Students' Association (TSA) raises doubt over claims of cave excavation team
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 06 2012:
Reacting to the claim of the joint excavation team of History Department of Manipur University, DM College of Science and Archealogical Survey of Guwahati over their findings in cave exploration at Khomunnon village in Chandel district, Thadou Students' Association (TSA), Chandel District has asserted that is confusing to the local people as they known about these caves and frequented there for decades but never came across such tools.
The exploration team claimed to have found many tools and materials of the Paleolithic age such as charchoal, fragmented pots, bones, sea shells, etc.
In a statement, General Secretary of the student body James Haokip further asserted that after being flagged off by Commander of 26 Sector Assam Rifles Brig Upendra Dwivedi on March 20 at Pallel without the knowledge of TSA, the exploration team moved to Sajik Tampak and stayed at the camp of 36 AR camp for two days before returning back without visiting the caves.
"But we are really amazed from where such materials have been found by the exploration team while staying inside the AR camp", James.
Objecting to distorting the names of villages and caves and then exploring them without the knowledge of the local people, James observed that people in the hills would never allow such attempts to use resources of the people in the hills with an eye on extending implementation of MLR Act.