Settlement of land encroachment at Jessami Village

Kambam Ibohal Singh *

Thanks to the joint inspection team of Information Centre for Hill Area of Manipur (ICHAM), Tangkhul youth Council, Raphei Students' Association and Media persons for timely information to the people of Manipur about the encroachment activities of the Nagaland Govt. on the land of Jessami came to light during a joint inspection visit from October 1st to 3rd 2009.

This may perhaps be the first instance of joining hands between valley and Hill based organistions for protection of territorial integrity of Manipur despite emotional disturbances amid gun culture.

As yet on the report of physical verification of the joint team the Govt. Manipur has not come out with an amicable solution on the basis of 1970 agreement of boundary demarcation between Govts of Nagaland and Manipur being Challou and Teju Rivers as demarcating point between Jessami of Manipur and Mallorei of Nagaland.

Further, the report of the joint team revealed that encroachment of Nagaland Govt. by constructing Rest House, BSF barracks and cultivation and plantation works taken up over an area of 50 hectares by villagers of Mallorei on Manipur side of Challou River.

Only the occupation of the BSF barracks by the NAP was reported to D.C. ukhrul by the chairman of the Jessami village authority. It appears that the other encroachment of Rest House and cultivation / plantation works were not reported yet by the village authority to any Govt. agencies.

Record shows that there is one SDC and a police out post in the Jessami village since 1970s. The SDC concerned has not reported the incident to the immediate senior official for further submission to the higher authority prior to the revelation by the joint team of civil organizations and media persons.

The state Govt. simply expressed of taking a serious note of the report published in the local dailies and also added that there was no actionable report from concerned SDC, SDO and D.C. of ukhrul Dist. that Nagaland Govt. has encroached upon the territory of Manipur at Jessami.

About thirty years back the road from ukhrul to chingai was a jeepable in winter season only and there was no road link between chingai and Jessami. The officials of Chingai SDO and SDC Jessami offices used to travel by bus from Imphal for Chingai / Jessami via Kohima.

The black topped road maintained by BRTF from Kohima to Tinsukhia is passing through Jessami and Mellorei. In view of the present crisis of boundary issue it appears that Manipur Govt. is not aware of the road passing through Jessami and also it is doubtful whether or not the Nagaland Govt. took Manipur Govt. into confidence while constructing the road through the territory of Manipur.

Likewise the construction of BSF Barracks inside the territory of Manipur and the handing over the barracks to NAP by BSF while leaving temporarily shows the fact that the Manipur Govt. was not consulted / intimated at all.

The construction of Rest House and cultivation and plantation works within the boundary of Manipur over 50 hectares of land by villagers of Mellorei was not done overnight. The photos by the media persons published in local dailies showed that sufficient time was elapsed there that the plants were about to bear fruit.

So long no official or the Jessami village authority was ready to give the first hand account of the situation. It was unfortunate on the part of all those who were ignorant and remained as mute spectators of the loss of land of Manipur.

It is a sinister design to encroach the neighbour's land for the Govt. and people of Nagaland who are still in the border conflicts with the neighbour state of Assam yet to be settled and without any solution.

In 1974 - 75 the Nagaland villagers under aegis of Nagaland police encroached the fertile land of Manipur at Liyai Village of Mao Sub Division and the villagers of Liyai were preparing to fight the encroachers with bows and arrows. That was greed of fertile land by the Nagaland settled by the SDPO, Mao with his counterpart of Nagaland. Every time the Nagaland Govt. is trying to encroach in the areas of Dzuko valley also.

The Govt. and people of Manipur should always be alert against the intruder and irresponsible activities of our neighbouring states. The CM of Manipur stated that there is no Rest House of Nagaland inside the territory of Manipur. The statement is without spot verification in view of the photograph published in 'The Sangai Express', a local daily dated 10th Oct. 2009 had clearly shown the Rest House on Manipur side. Do we need another photo exposes?

The recent publication in local dailies that the controversial land encroachment issue at Jessami has been settled amicably by NAP and an understanding has also been reached at a village to village level as reported by Wezeh Kanmi, the chairman of JSM village authority (IFP dt. 3rd Nov. 2009) is a confusing one because the settlement is a product of NAP and JSM village authority chairman.

And there is no detail of understanding reached at a village to village level.

Are they competent authority to settle such cases?
In the event of movement of BSF again, would the NAP occupy the barracks?
The question of Rest House and cultivated land and plantations over 50 hectares of land are still left unsettled?
Are they gifted to the Mallorei villagers?

Manipur state Govt. should bring out white paper with full factual details of settlement at Govts. Level. The people of Manipur are till monitoring further process. Land records of T.B. Hospital constructed by the Nagaland Govt. on a hill top within the boundary of Manipur between villages of Mao song song of Manipur and Khoizuma of Nagaland should also be made update and verified, if the aforementioned Hospital is still in function.

To keep the boundary of Manipur intact the incoming and outgoing Govts. of Manipur must prepare memo to the effect that there is no change and loss / damage of boundary of Manipur state along the neighbouring states and international borders.

Such steps are necessitated due to the apathy of the sensitive borders by the state Govt.