Lei-Ingkhol Cannot be Defended

16 June 2013

Locals raise slogans against the eviction drive of Lei-ingkhol :: Pix - TSE

Lei-Ingkhol will be destroyed in the name of Capital Project. The contractors are the rulers; the contradiction between contractors’ project and human rights has become clearer. Yesterday, 15th June 2013, a team of the civil servants of the Government of Manipur had intruded at Lei-Ingkhol with five truckloads of police. It seems the government of Manipur had lost democratic legitimacy; widespread tendency of using muscle power on several issues has been exposed once again in Lei-Ingkhol.

How long will it be militantly ruled? In the name of combing operation they had everyone to remain indoors and had forced surveyed every house. Some of them had verbally intimated that eviction order would be issued by 28 June and that everyone must vacate the village by 5 July. Since 2005 till date the government had not spelt out anything about better compensation and rehabilitation packages to the villagers.

There hasn’t been any democratic process to come to a consensus with the villagers to be affected by the Capital Project. As a result of bribing few handpicked which had played divisive role among the villagers, and on the other had due to threat at gun point by the police, the residents had developed fear to the extent of unwilling to release a press statement to defend the village. There hasn’t been any open support to the cause of the villagers from the Wangkhei Assembly Constituency MLA Y. Irabot.

Yesterday itself, the preexisting Joint Action Committee was dissolved, and a committee to demand alternative arrangement was form with electoral politician Okram Henry, a nephew of Chief Minister Ibobi, as advisor. To what extent will Okram Henry with his contractor background be able to extend full sincerity and consistent commitment? Having observed the post displacement situation of Yaifa Leikai, Loktak Fishers, Mapithel Dam, Khuga Dam, Kabo Leikai, etc, it is doubtful that the Lei-Ingkhol villagers would be provided a better alternative arrangement.

Since the villagers are disunited wholehearted support of Civil Society Organisations is also doubtful. How far the leaders of the committee constituted yesterday would be able to withstand on the basis of correct ideology, practical tactics and full commitment remains a question. There are possibilities that a few will get opportunity at the const of the destructions of the livelihood of the rest. Under such circumstances the contractors, bureaucrats and police had constituted a flank and suppress democratic voices. It has become very clear that there is project versus rights under the colonial Land Acquisition Act 1894.

It has become certain that to serve the vested interest of the contractors, in the name of construction of bureaucratic quarters, under the protection of the police Lei-Ingkhol will be destroyed. Ideologically and psychologically subjected, being disunited and feared; the villagers of the livelihood of the Lei-Inkhgol villagers will be uprooted without proper compensation and rehabilitation. What can be done when the revolutionary movement has been deliberately delayed?

Note: * Lei-Ingkhol Village is Village No 8 Mantripukhri, Sheet No 2, Tahsil- Imphal East, Manipur. In May 2012 the village was inhabited by 610 persons (291 men and 319 women) who are organised into 116 families. Most of the head of the families are wage labourers. There are 90 wage labourers (63 men and 27 women) who worked in unorganised sectors on daily or workload contract basis such as coal tar workers, road mending, bricks farms, stone collector in quarry, etc.

There are 24 government employees (from 20 families), mostly under Grade III (8 persons) and Grade IV (16 persons) pay scale. 20 persons are involved in marginal business such as Small Scale Retail Shop (including pan dukan; 10 persons), vendour/ Potfam (3 women), tea stall (4 women) and one firewood seller. There are 186 students who are mostly enrolled in government schools which are in most degenerative conditions.

There are 35 BPL card holders and 22 Annapurna Yojna card holders. For social activity we had a Baptist church, two petty community temples, two small ponds, two small playgrounds, a single room office constructed by MLA, an incomplete community centre constructed by a contractor, a women meira paibi organisation and a religious committee.

MANIPURI: Capital Project ki mingda Lei- Ingkhol thugairagani. Thikadar gi leingakni; thikadargi project amasung meeyoibagi rights anigi muknaba henna mayek senglakle. Ngarang, 15th June 2013, Manipur government ki civil servant khutpa amana police gari mapot mangaga loinana Lei-Ingkhol da thomjinkhareh. Manipur government ki democratic legitimacy loikhra malle; wafam kayada muscle power sijinnabagi thouong pak sanna chattharakpa lei ingkholdasu mamee tareh. Kayam kuina nongmeina leingakkani? Combing operation gi mingda khunmee khuding mayum mayumda hoijillaga yum khuding changduna survey toukhre. June 28 faobada eviction order thokkani, July 5 faobagi manungda yum honggadabani haina chinhaida kihallambasu leikhi. Khunmeesingda henna khodongchaba compensation amasung rehabilitation gi wafamdi 2005 tagi ngasifaoba sarkarna chin kaangba leitri.

Capital Project saabada sokkadouriba khunmeesingga yasinnaba ama purakpagi democratic process amasu leitri. Khutchabi meeyoi khujok amada selgi khoichak thaduna khunmeesing lingjel mannahandaba, aduga nakal amaromdana police na nongmei chingdolda kihallamba maramna khunmeesingdi hwjik khun sokpa yaroi haina press note thokpa faoba kiduna leiri. Wangkhei Assembly Constituency gi MLA Y. Irabot ki makeidagi ngasifaoba khun asigidamak fongna pambom tingduna khunmeesingga loinana khongjang changminnabagi wafamsu leitri. Ngarang asimak hannagi JAC adu muthatlaga alternative arrangement demand toubagi committee ama vote leppa Okram Henri, CM Ibobigi macha thokpa, bu advisor oina haptuna semkhre. Thikadar da yumfam oiba Okram Henri na kadai faoba thamoi sengna amasung lengdana katthokpa ngamgadra?

Yaifa leikaigi, Loktakki ngamisinggi, mapithel dam gi, khuga dam gi, Kabo leikaigi, asinachingba fivam yengluraga lei-ingkholgi khunmeesinggi henna natei chaba alternative arrangement ama fanggani haibagi thajabasu leite. Khunmeesingna lingjel mannadrabadi Civil Society Organisation singna fongna eechang thouna pambom tingbagi maramsu leiroidouri. Ngarang semkhriba committee asigi luchingbasingna kadaifao wakhallon sengna maikei chumna katthokpa ama yaona khun asigi mairong yadourino haiba asisu wahang ama oiri. Mayamgi mingda kharana kannaba louraga ateina yumlei keirei kang khong chaiba yabagi fivamsu leiri.

Fivam asida thikadar, bureaucrat amasung police khutpu ama oiraga democratic voice namthareh. Loilam leingakki Land Acquisition Act 1894 gi marumda project versus rights mayek sengle. Bureaucrat singgi quarter sabagi mingda sendong taanba thikadarsinggi sarouda, police na pambom tingduna Lei-Ingkhol thugaiba soidre. Wakhallon thammairaba, lingjel mannadraba amasung akibana thumhatlaba khunmeesing natei chaba compensation amasung rehabilitation fangdana kang khong chaigadouri. Yaol khongjangdi namduna thinthahallabanina karidi oopai leiribage? ]

Sd/-
Dr. Malem Ningthouja
Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)