Cops shoo away homeless lake dwellers
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 21 2011: Teams of State police personnel herded away displaced Loktak Lake dwellers from their temporary shelter at Kwakeithel Thounaojam Leikai.

The police action since late morning today is a continuation of similar drive carried out last night at different localities of Kwakeithel.

As a part of the Government's project to sanitise the loktak Lake, a large number of families settled on the floating biomasses were forcibly evicted some days back.

Consequently the displaced settlers had been initially taking shelter at a community hall in Ningthoukhong under Bishnupur district from where they were asked to vacate by the police.

It is said that the displaced settlers came to Kwakeithel Thounaojam Leikai last evening to air their plight to the Government of Manipur but police personnel prevented them from converging at the said place.

Police and Loktak Development Authority personnel had burnt down several huts built on the floating biomass of the Loktak Lake.

Speaking to newspersons, a displaced woman said a police team showed up at the temporary shelter place at around 11 am today and asked the people to return to their respective place of origin.

Conveying that the ravaged huts were the only place of residence for about 300 fishing community, she expressed strong resentment against the crackdown launched by the Government without providing them alternate source of livelihood and residence.

Informing that out of about 300 displaced families more than half comprise of women, the aggrieved woman rued uncertain future of the fishing community, particularly education of their children.

She also maintained that the police team which came today at the temporary shelter in Kwakeithel area asked them to return to Bishnupur district as the district's Deputy Commissioner would be arranging for their fooding and lodging.

in case of any untoward incident Imphal West district police would not shoulder the responsibility of protecting them, the woman quoted a police officer as saying.

While their insistence to meet the Chief Minister to air their grievances was not allowed by the police, the displaced Loktak Lake dwellers headed back to Bishnupur district.

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