Hareswar takes border issue to Governor
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 11 2022: MPCC vice-president Hareswar Goswami who is also a writer today submitted a representation to Governor La Ganesan categorically saying that Indo-Myanmar border fence may be constructed only after the international boundary is properly verified and demarcated.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club today after submitting a memorandum to the Governor at the Raj Bhavan, Hareswar Goswami said that copies of the memorandum he personally handed over to Governor La Ganesan have been sent to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister, the External Affairs Minister and the Chief Minister.

He said that according to what he had studied during the last 20 years the contestation over boundary is not restricted to BP nos 80, 81 and 82 but spreads over a length of 35 Kms spanning over four/five locations.

He said that he furnished proofs of his observation and talked about it with the Governor for about half an hour.

The Governor had an opinion that the border fencing was aimed at checking cross-border smuggling of drugs and many illegal activities but some people have been opposing the same project.

"However, after listening to me, the Governor asked the number of contested sites and I told him that the boundary line is contested at five/six locations", Hareswar said.

A copy of the journal Regional Integration, edited, published and printed by RK Ranjan, now Minister of State for External Affairs, way back in 1982 which pointed out loss of Manipur's territory from BP nos 64 to 69 at Molcham side was shown to the Governor along with a map, he said.

He said that the Governor was apprised about the contestations near BP 75 (Hollenphai) and BPs 76 and 77 (Tamil temple area) .

According to the boundary agreement signed between India and Burma on March 10, 1967 at Rangoon which was based on a joint survey undertaken by Upper Chindwin Political Agent Captain MC Nabb and Manipur Political Agent Maxwell in 1896, BP nos 80 and 81 should be erected 109 metres above the confluence of Namjupha and Namchetlok but the border pillars have been erected 700 metres inside India.

The Governor was informed about these manipulations with supporting documents, he conveyed.

The agreement signed at Rangoon in 1967 was about delimitation and demarcation, it was not about any survey.

Survey was done way back in 1896 .

Remarking that the matter was quite interesting, La Ganesan assured that he would look into the issue minutely.

As per the Statistical Handbook of 1981, the total area of Manipur was 22,356 sq Kms but it shrunk to 22,327 Sq Kms as pointed out in the 2018 edition of the Year Book.

This is a clear testimony of loss of substantial part of Manipur's territory to the neighbouring country, Hareswar pointed out and sought immediate attention of the Governor.

Comment