Lamdan protests
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 31 2015 :
Lamdan Kabui villagers today staged a protest demonstration at their village ground de-manding the Government to review the order issued by the Under Secretary of Tribal Affairs and Hills, Government of Manipur on January 24 regarding the appointment of a new village headman.
One of the members of Lamdan village authority said that after the demise of form-er village headman Thaitou- ngam's wife on January 27, 2013, the post of village headman remained vacant for some months.
According to the Kabui customary law, a widower cannot be a village headman.
On June 8, 2013, M Khuripou Maringmei was elected as the village headman in a general body meeting of the village authority, he added.
The village authority then sent an information letter regarding the election of a new headman to Churachandpur DC Jacintha Lazarus the following week for her approval and notification in the State Gazette.
He said that M Acham, son of former village headman, filed a written complaint to Churachandpur DC using forged thumb impression of his father and claimed that he was the village headman of Lamdan village.
Following the complaint, Churachandpur DC asked the villagers to submit related documents regarding election of headman, he added.
During a hearing, all the related documents along with the general body resolution for the election of Khuripou Maringmei as the new headman and copies of Kabui customary law were submitted to Churachandpur DC .
After perusing all these documents, the DC approved Khuripou Maringmei's election as the new village headman, he said and added that the DC also asked SDO Henglep to make necessary corrections and updations regarding the matter.
Later, Khuripou was formally coronated as the village headman in a grand function held in Lamdan Kabui village on March 3, 2014, he said.
He added that a criminal case is still pending against M Acham in Sessions Court, Churachandpur for forging his father's thumb impression.
However, Under Secretary of Tribal Affairs and Hills, Government of Manipur, S Ngulzaniang issued an order regarding the appointment of M Acham as the new headman of Lamdan village on January 24 last, he added.
The village authority member further questioned on what ground M Acham had been appointed as the village headman although all his documents, produced before the DC turned out to be false, fabricated and forged.
He further said that the Under Secretary must be held responsible if any untoward incident happens in Lamdan village in this connection.