Land dispute erupts between two communities
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Imphal, June 11 2014:
Police had a tough time controlling two groups of people who confronted each other by pelting stones in Thoubal district this morning over a land dispute.
According to sources, at about 9.30 am today villagers belonging to a particular community and residents of a separate community of Lilong Chingkham engaged in stone pelting against each other after one group objected to the move of the other to settle on a vast empty space.
Villagers of a locality in Thoubal district were preparing to settle by levelling mud in the empty area of the village vicinity this morning when a large number of people hailing from another community came and raised their objection against the plan of the others to settle in the area saying it belongs to them.
A heated argument ensued which was followed by pelting of stones.
However, timely arrival of Lilong police prevented the incident from snowballing into a major crisis.
The vast empty area in the Lilong Chingkham vicinity has been reportedly used by one community as play grounds, as grazing grounds and other activities.
However, residents of another locality claimed that they have been in the area for the past 300 years and the land belongs to them.
But the other group of people argued that the former settled there only after 1915 .
An organisation called Lilong Chingkham Maya Development Organisation had filed a case in the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Thoubal, Manipur under Original Suit No 12 of 2013 while villagers of the other locality filed an appeal case in Civil Miscellaneous with Case No.1 of 2014, District Judge, Thoubal, Manipur.
Meanwhile, the Lilong Chingkham Maya Development Organisation said that no one should use the disputed land before the Court's final judgement or verdict is pronounced.