Discussion on border fencing held
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 20 2013:
A one-day discussion programme on Border Fencing on Indo-Myanmar Border was organised by United NGOs Mission, Manipur (UNM-M) at the Banquet Hall of Hotel Imphal.
Giving the keynote address, Consultant of UNM-M, OJ Meetei said that the border fencing row along the Indo-Myanmar border is of immense concern as many villages inhabited by Kuki, Tangkhul and Maring communities of Chandel and Ukhrul districts of the State are to be effected.
As many villagers are likely to be displaced if the border fencing row continued, he stressed on the need to involve village chiefs in the border demarcation process.
Speaking as the resource person, Senior Visiting Fellow of Manipur University's Geography dept, Dr RK Ranjan said that putting up the border fencing across the Yangoupokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary would lead to extinction of many animal species which migrated from different places of South East Asia.
Citing that the construction of Ithai Barrage led to the extinction of many fish species, Dr RK Ranjan reasoned that the border fencing should be stopped if the people are serious to preserve the Yangoupokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary.
It is very unfortunate that the State is in the verge of losing large chunk of land to Myanmar, Dr RK Ranjan said while adding that the responsibility for this should solely rest on the Government.
Social Scientist, Dr Dhanabir Laishram recalled that the territory of the State was large till the reign of Gambhir Singh.
Since then, the territorial boundaries of the State decreased.
He also said that giving away pieces of land to others is not only a loss of territory but an effort to drain the natural resources of the State.
Dr Dhanabir said while some sections of the people are hallucinating with futile demands, the territory and resources are drained into other people's hands while urging the Kukis and Nagas to cease their demand for separate homelands.
Other speakers of the programme including Sobita Mangsatabam strongly registered their objection to the border fencing along Indo-Myanmar.
They also demanded that concerned villages' chiefs should be involved in border demarcation.