Re-settlement bid fails
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 28 2014:
Altogether five individuals who were banished together with their family members from Leingangching (S Laho) village, Ukhrul district under Litan police station have not been allowed to re-settle till date.
After they were expelled from their ancestral village, the five families have been living in rented rooms for the past five years.
Moved by the plight being suffered by the five families, the Tangkhul Catholic Council (TCC) together with many religious leaders organised a prayer session at Litan Community Hall with a view to rehabilitate the five families at Leingangching village.
After the prayer session was over, the religious leaders, human rights activities and a large number of women activists escorted the five families up to Leingangching.
They held placards which read "We are one family", "Respect religious freedom", "Give us peace" etc.
As they approached Leingangching, they were blocked on the way by the villagers of Leingangching led by the village chief.
On account of the blockade, the banished families together with their supporters/sympathisers went back.
TCC president and Inter Church Forum Ukhrul District president Paotam Zimik, Archbishop House Imphal chancellor Rev Ts Dominic and other religious leaders who escorted the five families condemned the act of prohibiting the five families from re-settling at their ancestral homes by Leingangching villagers and the village authority.
They said that the five families were banished from their village for adopting Catholic faith.
There are official documents of Leingangching Village Authority which say that only Baptised Christians would be allowed to live at the village, Rev Ts Dominic said.
On the other hand, the Leingangching village chief maintained that the five individuals and their families were expelled from the village for trying to create social unrest apart from attempting to sell out portions of the village land and rename the village.
There is no permission as yet for the five families to re-settle at Leingangching, the chief added.