Chanura Marup urges PM to stop border fencing
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, August 21 2013:
The Chanura Marup (Women Wing) of Manipur People's Party (MPP) on Wednesday shot off a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to cease all the works of the Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing until a final settlement on the international boundary is made.
MPP believes the Government of India would consider the Manipur Sector of the Indo-Myanmar international border with the same seriousness and intensity just as in the case of Indo-Pak and Indo-China international borders, the MPP Chanura Marup said in the letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh which was sent through the state Governor.
Citing the recent clarification made by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the current Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing that "without the settlement of international boundary along with boundary pillars" between India and Myanmar, "it is not possible to arrive at a definite conclusion that a particular village or land is going to be lost," the letter said the border fencing is on-going and the "policy of 10 mt of no construction zone has been decided to be followed.
According to MHA, the international practice is that 10 mt across either side of the border is considered to be a "no construction zone, it mentioned.
It alleged the construction of the border fencing inside the territory of Manipur much beyond the 10 mt norm even to the extent of 1000 to 2000 mt inside the territory of India (Manipur) is what the MHA is doing on the ground.
It also demanded the Prime Minister to apprise the report of the High Powered Committee formed by the Manipur Cabinet by the end of the current month so that the serious apprehension in the minds of the public is mitigated.
Meanwhile, Chandrakala Devi, president, MPP Chanura Marup warned of serious agitation in the event of the failure of the High Powered Committee, set up by the state Cabinet to overlook the Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing, to present a report within August 31 .