Hatikhuwa blocks road, Phaileng chief reacts
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Kanggui, October 27 2013:
People of Kanglatongbi Hatikhuwa today blocked the road passing through Phaileng, Luwangsanggol and its adjoining villages in protest against the quarrying activities being carried out by villagers of Phaileng, Luwangsanggol, Chalbung, Ehvan and its adjoining village.
Meanwhile, Chief of Phaileng village Haominthang Misao has strongly reacted to the statement made by the Sekmai-Kanglatongbi based organizations spokesperson Angom Rajesh, who claimed to have arrived at a mutual agreement on banning quarrying activities at Sekmai riverbed of Imphal river.
Alleging Phaileng chief and his villagers of disregarding mutual agreement on banning quarrying activities at Sekmai riverbed of Imphal River, some people today started blocking the main road of Phaileng, Luwangsanggol and its adjoining village.
Not a single vehicle could pass the road particularly those vehicles used for transporting sand and stone from the riverbed of Imphal River.
On the other hand, Phaileng village chief Haominthang Misao made it clear that villagers of Phaileng and its adjoining village till today never carried out quarrying activities beyond their respectively land.
He said that the said blocking the main road of the villages at Hatikhuwa will not bring any good outcome.
So, it will be wise on the part of the responsible authority to shun their communal activities at the earliest for peaceful environment.
While condemning and reacting strongly against the Sekmai-Kanglatongbi based civil bodies spokesperson accusing Phaileng chief of disregarding 'Mutual Agreement' on banning quarrying activities at Sekmai riverbed of the Imphal river, Haominthang Misao said that there is no 'Mutual Agreement' between the village chief and Sekmai-Kanglatongbi based organizations.
The alleged 'mutual agreement' as stated is bogus and unknown or must have been carried out by the said organization only to tarnish the image of Phaileng and Luwangsanggol village, thundered Phaileng chief while adding that June 26 Joint meeting only took the name of the attending villages' chiefs and representatives of the organization.
"I am totally in the dark regarding the alleged mutual agreement.
So there is no way that I will approved it", asserted Haominthang Misao and added that villagers of Phaileng, Luwangsanggol, Chalbung and Ehvan never ever executed quarrying activities beyond their respective land.
He further asserted that since quarrying activities is the main source of livelihood of the villagers it has been practiced since time immemorial.
If this activity is ban now, it is the same as cutting the throat of all the villagers including innocent children.
He continued that there is a very big reason behind why these organization took so much interest in this activities though they based their reason on protection of environment and ecology adding that we have nothing to do with it as well as these organization also have nothing to do with activities of our villagers since we have no connection and relationship.
"We quarry in our respective land for our livelihood and we do not disturb anybody as well as damage anybody land while struggling for our livelihood.
So no one should also disturb us in our activities", lamented Phaileng chief, who also expressed discontentment over blocking the main road of Phaileng, Luwangsanggol, Chalbung, Ehvan and its adjoining villages by Kanglatongbi Hatikhuwa people.
Haominthang Misao while tracing back the history Phaileng and Luwangsanggol pointed out that before the establishment of Kanglatongbi, Phaileng and Luwangsanggol had already been set up in 1920 .
Indicating that the road passing through Hatikhuwa is the main road used for every purpose by these villages, Misao said that and nobody has the right to block this road.
While urging the concerned organization to stop blocking the main road of the village at Hatikhuwa at the earliest, Misao warned that any unwanted incident arising out of blocking the village main road should be the sole responsibility of the concern authority and organization.
He also warned everyone not to interfere in the activities of Phaileng and its adjoining village denizens for their respectively livelihood now and in future.