Loss of agri land
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 17 2013: With the Government seemingly focused on developing pony sanctuary by acquiring prime agricultural land of Heingang Ibudhou Marjing Loukon (paddy field) and adjacent areas inspite of the farmer community voicing objection, a sit-in-demonstration organised by Committee on Protection of Agricultural Land, Heingang was staged today at the proposed project site.

According to Committee secretary Nongthombam Mangi the State Government's ambition to protect the endangered Manipuri pony species is highly appreciable but any developmental project that threatens human livelihood or survival cannot be acceptable.

Reminding that the project's target for acquisition of 26 hectares of land includes a large area of prime agricultural land, he said depriving the farmers their main source of livelihood cannot be deemed wise or justifiable.

Stating that apart from paddy cultivation, Ibudhou Marjing Loukon also comprise many fish farms, Mangi suggested that alternative non-agricultural land be selected for the pony sanctuary.

Commenting on the project, one of the protestors expressed that the actual sanctuary area be limited to the open hill-slope near the paddy cultivation area.

During the paddy plantation season the ponies may be confined and fed within the sanctuary and allowed to graze in the field after the harvest season, he proposed.

As the farmers had been carrying out paddy plantation activities with due compliance to land ownership process since 1943, the State Government belatedly realising importance of protecting the endangered pony species at the cost of human lives amounts to violating fundamental Right to Livelihood, asserted the protestor.

Noting that many prime agricultural land in the State have already been acquired and utilised for non-agricultural ventures, he opined that the Government ignoring significance of preserving arable land for the future will not only be perilous for the common citizens but also be detrimental to game-plan of the law makers.

With similar pony protection projects undertaken in the past unable to live upto the people's expectation the same fate befalling upon the Heingang Ibudhou Marjing project cannot be ruled out, opined the protestor.

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