Konsakhul VA questions origin of Leilon settlers
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 29 2023: Konsakhul Village Authority has strongly condemned the "savage act perpetrated by the illegal immigrants at Leilon Vaiphei" on March 26 and 27 against innocent civilians and demanded booking of the culprits while cautioning of launching intense agitation in case of failing to do so.

In a statement, the village authority informed that 20 people were badly injured in the violent incident with two in serious condition undergoing treatment at Raj Medicity, Imphal.

The two innocent civilians were brutally assaulted and were intended to be murdered after abduction by the illegal immigrants at Leilon Vaiphei while returning from Leimakhong on a scooty (MN01AC-5485) .

The Scooty was also burnt beyond recovery by the perpetrators without any reason or provocation.

Besides, a JCB excavator owned by Edal Singh of Singjamei, Imphal was also vandalised on the same day and at the same place.

A group of tourists coming to Konsakhul waterfall and some pilgrims from Imphal visiting Kounu Lairembi were also stopped and harassed at Leilon village by the illegal immigrants without any reason, the statement signed by chairman of the village authority stated.

While the root cause of all such issues sums up over the years, unfortunately in Konsakhul area under Kangpokpi district, uncontrolled influx of illegal immigrants, mainly from Myanmar, is being facilitated for vote bank politics and electoral gain in the last 50 years resulting in rampant settlement in the area.

Over the period of time, these illegal immigrants have gained a demographic edge over the indigenous communities.

In 1970, there was only one Vaiphei village called Leilon but today the number has exponentially increased to 21 villages.

Contrary to this, the only genuine indigenous village in the area, Konsakhul, remains as it is without mushrooming/expanding its hamlets.

These mushrooming of illegal villages were backed by militant groups in connivance with the district administration supported by politicians.

Taking advantage of their numerical strength and demographic dominance, these illegal immigrants are indulging in rampant destruction of environment and forests, recruitment, training, free-uncontrolled, extortion, kidnapping, free entry, shelter and exit passes for illegal immigrants from across the border, it added.

Besides, generation of revenues through poppy cultivation, logging business from the virgin forest of Liangmai, hunting, poisoning rivers with chemical/bleaching powder, encroachment of land, creating land disputes, the Kuki militants under Suspension of Operation (SoO) are carrying out Jungle Raj in Kangpokpi district.

The exponential growth of villages, and the facts and circumstances described above show that there is a clear case of politics of demographic engineering so as to tilt the balance of power against the genuine indigenous communities of the state.

As such, consistent attempts are being made to reduce the indigenous communities to voiceless and invisible minorities in their own lands through systematic and structural manipulation, snatching away lands as well as economic and political rights from the indigenous locals.

In fact, Manipur as a whole is facing a major problem of migration and that loopholes began with the sharing of a 398 km border with Myanmar, which enable easy border crossing into the state.

The community, who themselves are the outlanders, has brought more people to increase their strength in social and political landscape.

A recent instance of bringing in thousands of illegal immigrants, especially in Kangpokpi district, without informing the competent authority caused tension amongst the indigenous communities in the district, the statement said.

Encroachment of land is one of the challenges that fuel land disputes and tension in fhe region.

The fact of the matter is that Leilon village was a tenant of Konsakhul village and thereby a lease agreement was signed, which still stands today between the landlord (Konsakhul) and tenant (Leilon) .

The tenant used to pay royalties in the form of one 'Kaluang' (Sangbai) of paddy per household of Leilon every year to Konsakhul village.

Despite knowing the real owners of the land, the state government fails to resolve the issue.

Stringent action should be taken against land grabbing, trespassing, land encroachment and rampant entry of illegal immigrants in the state, it maintained.

It further asserted time has come for the government to wake up to the situation and resolve the problem while understanding the fact that immigrants cannot be placed on equal footing with the genuine indigenous communities of Manipur.

If the government fails to act now, the state will become just another Tripura, where the indigenous people are minorities in their own state.

"In the view of the mentioned facts and circumstances, it is compelled to serve ultimatum that if the state government fails to book the culprits and bring to justice within 24 hours, then we will chart out next course of action and intensify our agitation," the VA said in its statement.

"Further, if any talks regarding the bar baric and inhuman act perpetrated by Leilon Vaiphei village on March 26 is arranged with the state government, representatives from our neighbouring villages namely Khurkhul, Sekmai, Senjam Chirang, Koutruk, Kanto, Chingmang and Kanto Sabal should be included without fail," it added.

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