Kwatha villagers oppose border survey
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 08 2016 :
Manipur will lose around 400-metre wide tract of land having a length of around 1.5 km to Myanmar between Border Pillar No 80 and 81 if the current demarcation of border area is finalised, said Kwatha village secretary Kshetrimayum Ibo-yaima.
A joint team of media persons and United Committee Manipur (UCM) visited the border area recently.
Speaking to media persons, Iboyaima said that Kwatha Khunou villagers came to know about the possible loss of Manipur's land to Myanmar on January 4, Iboyaima said.
He said that a joint team of India and Myanmar is currently conducting border demarcation/survey at Border Pillar No 80 and 81.Iboyaima said that when he along with some villagers passed the area, they saw a joint survey team putting up red flags and clearing the area.
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When the villagers enquired the officials what they were doing there, the team who identified themselves as officials from Shillong told the villagers that they were conducting joint border survey of land to finalise the international border between the two countries, he said.
After getting this reply from the officials, Iboyaima said, the villagers voiced strong opposition against the demarcation exercise as Mani-pur (India) would lose a vast tract of land to Myanmar if the line where red flags had been put up is finalised as the line of control.
The villagers also told the officials that they must have consulted the villagers of Konthoung (Myanmar) and Kwatha (India) before the matter was finalised, Ibo-yaima said.
The next day, two Myanmarese officials along with some Myanmarese army personnel were found surveying land at the area again, he said.
They however left the area after Kwatha villagers strongly opposed them, he said.
Iboyaima further said that a joint meeting of Konthoung (Myanmar) and Kwatha (India) villagers would be held on January 12 at near Border Pillar No 81 to resolve the issue.
Manipur would lose around 400-metre wide tract of land having a length of around 1.5 km (including two Kuki villages) between Border Pillar No 80 and 81 if the current demarcation of border area is finalised, Iboyaima said.
Saying that Kwatha villagers would never allow anybody to encroach on their ancestral lands, Iboyaima decried the State and Central Governments for its alleged negligence on the issue of State's territory.
Saying that people who have been residing at the area have a thorough knowledge about the topography of the area, Iboyaima said that Governments of the two countries must consult the villagers first before arriving at any understanding.