Stay away from Orange Fest: ZYF
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 08 2013 :
The Zeliangrong Youth Front has started issuing instructions to the orange growers from Tamenglong district to abstain from participating in this year's Orange Festival to be held on December 14 at Longmai (Noney) town, conveyed a press release issued by the front.The decision of restriction and prohibition was unanimously arrived at following the State Government's failure to respond to the ultimatum served on October 22, 2013 giving one week time regarding various issues pertaining to people of Tamenglong district and its land.
The ultimatum incorporated six points which included erection of border pillars at the boundary of Tamenglong district at Phaitol, Kamranga and Khedagor bordering Jiribam; replacement of Jiribam police personnel with Tamenglong District police personnel at the police outpost located at Tatbung and re-naming the police outpost as Tatbung police outpost, Tousem sub-Division, Tamenglong district instead of Jiribam police outpost, Imphal East district; removal of IRB training centre from any part of Tamenglong; identification of the trucks involved in accident and payment of compensation/ex-gratia to the injured persons/deceased family by the Government as per relevant provisions and rules.
Other points were immediate suspension of security personnel who were escorting the Tata trucks on the day of the accident for negligence of duty and responsibilities and for failing to honor the life of people and also to give strong instruction or direction to army and para military forces operating in Zeliangrong areas to stop harassment, illegal detention, holding people captive in their custody beyond permitted time without lodging FIR, physical torture, heaping and levelling baseless and unfounded charges after picking up innocent persons.
Till the State Government gives satisfactory response and takes up positive step regarding the serious issues raised by the Zeliangrong Youth Front, people would not be allowed to participate in orange festival.
Any orange growers found defying the instruction and participating in the festival would be heavily penalized by imposing fines as per Zeliangrong tradition and customary laws for acting against the voice of the people.
Celebration of Orange festival on one hand and encroachment on the land of Tamenglong district on the other hand is not acceptable, it asserted.