Loktak Phumdi dwellers evicted; Threaten bandh and suicide
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 15 2011:
The state government has proceeded with the eviction process of Phumdi dwellers in Loktak Lake with forced self burning down of phumdi huts by the dwellers
themselves today.
The eviction process was carried out by a combine team of Army personnel, Moirang Police OC, Additional Superintendent of Police, Bishnupur, OC of Bishnupur Police, Director of Loktak Development Authority and other concern officials.
The eviction process was carried out with the burning down of the phumdi huts by the owners themselves against their very wishes.
Altogether there are 1100 phumdi huts on the Loktak lake.
The owners of the phumdi huts were given a lifelihood package of rupees 40,000 each.
As a first phase, 21 phumdi dwellers of Laichanbi and Ngarang Shanglup were paid a cheque of Rs 40,000 each by the officials of the Loktak Development Authority and they were made to burn down their huts thereafter.
The phumdi huts evicted today belong to the fish farmers of Chandapur, Moirang, Keibul, Moirang Khunou and Thanga Ngaram of Bishnupur district.
Meanwhile, around 3000 fish farmers, hearing the news of the eviction process gathered at the community hall at Ningthoukhong Makha Leikai and organized a public meeting.
Reacting sharply against the decision of the state government, the public meeting unanimously resolved to call an indefinite bandh on Tidim road starting from 6 this evening.
Speaking at the sidelines of the public meeting, O Rajen, Secretary of the All Loktak lake Areas Fisherman Union, said that the Director of Loktak Development Authority had issued a notice on November 11, under section 20 of the Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act, 2006, saying that the phumdi dwellers of Loktak Lake have to evict their place on 16th of November and the dwellers will be given an amount of Rs 40,000 each as compensation.
But ignoring the notice issued, the government has started evicting the phumdi dwellers by burning the phumdi huts down which is very unfortunate.
So the fish farmers will carry out all sorts of agitation until and unless the state government amends the statements included in clause 20 of the Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act.
If the government does comply with their demands they would even go to the extent of committing suicide since the act of the government is like killing them and there is no other options as such, he further asserted.