ICHAM slams State Govt
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 05 2015 :
The State Govt has been a sitting duck since many years, charged the Information Centre for Hill Areas Manipur (ICHAM) .
Addressing a press meet today at Manipur Press Club, ICHAM president, N Rajendro stated that the State Govt has failed to safeguard the integrity of Manipur from the incursion of neighbouring State Nagaland and Myanmar in other parts of the border areas.
He accused the State Govt of remaining inactive on many sensitive border issues such as Dzuko Valley, Tungjoi, Jessami and recently Choro village.
The century old issue of Dzuko Valley with Nagaland has not yet been resolved till today and now the issue has reached such an extent that Manipur is on the verge of losing the valley, he added.
Rajendro added that MLA Shyamkumar brought up the issue in the previous State Assembly session and Chief Minister Okram Ibobi assured to resolve the matter.
Unfortunately, the matter has been kept in cold storage till today.
Commenting that such incidents in various parts of border areas have made the villagers insecure and they are more like a family member without a guardian, Rajendra said that the case of land incursion by Nagaland at Tungjoi and Jessami is almost the same and could have been averted if the numerous State security forces are well deployed in the border areas.
He alleged that all the security forces are here in Imphal guarding only the VVIPs when they should be guarding and keeping a watch on the State's border areas.
Although the State Govt has been trying to bridge the gap between the hill and the valley districts of the State, the border areas have often been forgotten and left out.
"Manipur has nine districts, not only four," added Rajendra.
Meanwhile publicity secretary of ICHAM, Ambition Anth accused the State Govt of maintaining double standard with no will to guard the territory of Manipur.
He added that the people settled in the border areas of Dzuko valley would safeguard the land from incursion but this could result in communal conflicts.
He urged the State Govt to intervene at the earliest to avert such unwarranted incidents.
ICHAM also urged the people of the State and other CSOs to support the steps taken up by the Mao Students' Union (MSU) which has threatened to start agitating from May 7 if the State Govt fails to take up any concrete step to bring a solution.
"To safeguard the territorial integrity of the State, ICHAM would provide their fullest support in the endeavour of the Mao Students' Union," added Ambition.