ATSUM, RNCM Jiribam condemn eviction drive at Macheng village
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 04 2020: Unhappy over dismantling three houses at Macheng village, located at Lamlongei Mantripukhri on April 24, All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) opined that the process could have wait and the dwellers if at all had happened to breach the rule of law, they could have been persuaded to voluntarily relinquish their dwellings instead.

A press release issued by ATSUM stated that some of the evictees are in possession of legal documents issued by the revenue department.

The erstwhile official correspondence pertaining to the land in question should have deterred the officials.

It would have been more prudent if the matter was sorted out between the revenue department and the forest department on the legality of the settlement instead of 'tormenting the hapless villagers', ATSUM alleged adding that the ulterior motives behind the process must be in the scheme of things.

"This can be substantiated from the contention of the DFO which is being printed verbatim that "there are 1346 illegal structures under the Langol Reserved Forest with pending eviction cases" .

And why only three houses are made to bear the brunt whereas the rest illegal settlements/structures condone? It seems personal grudges have taken precedence over all else," the student union further claimed.

Saying that the claims of the Forest Department that there were gung ho construction activities during the lockdown clearly indicate that someone from the department was constantly prying and snooping on the villagers, ATSUM stated that the rebuttal given by the villagers that where will they get construction materials during the lockdown are more credible.

Rongmei Naga Council Manipur (RNCM), Jiribam, Tousem, Luangrian also condemned the eviction of three houses at Macheng Village, Mantripukhri amid the Nationwide lockdown on April 24 .

The eviction drive was carried out without proper intimation, said a statement of RNCM, Jiribam.

Suggesting that the drive could have done after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, RNCM said that the drive was carried out urgently.

The State Government should refrain from carrying out 'undesirable activity' which only hurt the sentiments of all communities in future, it said and appealed all concerned to redress or rehabilitate the evicted families at the earliest.

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