UCM set to mobilise mass movement on border issues
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 11 2013:
The UCM has announced that it would launch a mass movement against the ongoing border fencing work and the resultant possibility of loss of Manipur's territory.
Speaking to media persons at their Lamphelpat office today, UCM president Y Nabachandra said that a team of UCM went to Moreh on August 8 and made a spot assessment of the areas where border pillars have disappeared as well as the ongoing border fencing work.
This was followed by a public seminar on Sep-tember 1 at Imphal.
Again, a technical session of experts was held at UCM office.
The session resolved that Manipur's territory should not be disturbed under any circumstances and all concerned should stop all activities which have the potential to alter the State's boundary.
To convene a mid-term session of the Assembly and adopt a resolution towards resolving the border row was another resolution adopted, Na-bachandra said.
It also decided to urge all concerned to stop the border fencing work until all controversies and border disputes between India and Myanmar is settled.
It demanded the Government of Manipur to produce a white paper on the controversies regarding Indo-Myanmar international boundary and the ongoing border fencing work.
The technical agreed to set up a coordinating committee comprising of civil society organisations of different communities in order to tackle the unfolding situation collectively.
The final resolution of the session was to launch a mass movement at the initiative of the coordinating body on the border issues.
The issue of boundary is not an ordinary matter but the Government seems to have little knowledge about Manipur's political boundary.
The situation demands a thorough understanding of the border issues, Nabachandra asserted.
Although the issue of disappearance of some boundary pillars was there since a long time back, the Government never seemed committed to define the exact boundary between Manipur and Myanmar.
It is not acceptable if the border fencing should be constructed several hundred metres inward.
Before going ahead with the border fencing work, the Government should work to demarcate the exact boundary line between India (Manipur) and Myanmar, asserted Nabachandra while calling upon all the people to be vigilant and alert.