Border fencing work still on, claims Govajang village chief
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 16 2013: Although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured to look into the issue of controversial fencing and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had directed the Border Roads Organisation to halt border fencing work along the Indo (Manipur)-Myanmar border, construction of border fence is still going on, according to Govajang village chief Thangkhopao Kipgen.

An unoffical source corroborated the story of the village chief, on further verification.

Apprehensive that the border fence would leave out large areas of Manipur's territory on the side of Myanmar, many civil organisations, political parties and the general public have been raising their voice to halt the border fencing work until the Indo-Myanmar border is surveyed and demarcated properly by a joint team of India and Myanmar.

Labourers ostensibly ferried in a BRTF truck for the border fencing work

Taking serious note of the issue, a 22-member delegation comprising of different political parties barring BJP and MPP led by Chief Minister O Ibobi went to Delhi and took up the issue with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister on December 4 and 5 .

After listening to the delegation, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh assured that not an inch of India's territory would be conceded to the neighbouring country.

He further assured that authorities concerned would be directed to stop the border fencing work.

The delegation then met Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and he informed the delegation that the BRO has been directed to stop the border fencing work.

However, the border fencing work starting from BP No 80 is still going on and this has created a situation of unrest among the villagers of Govajang, said the chief.

As per the existing alignment of the border fence, it would cut Govajang village into two halves.

This means the village would disappear once the construction work of the border fence is completed.

In spite of the Prime Minister's assurance and the Union Home Minister's direction, BRO has been bringing construction materials like steel poles, wires as well as labourers every day to the construction site, Thang-khopao Kipgen claimed.

Saying that Govajang village has been recognised by the Government since 1967 and the villagers have been paying hill house tax to the Government, the village chief said that the border fence should not be allowed to uproot the village which has around 200 people.

On account of a case pending in the High Court, Govajang village has been left out from the border fencing work for the time being.

Nonetheless, the border fencing work is still going on starting from BP No 80 leaving out the stretch from BP No 79 to BP No 80 .

Notably, Govajang village is located between BP No 79 and BP No 80 .

Non-stop construction of border fence in spite of the Prime Minister's assurance and the Union Home Minister's directive has the Govajang villagers confused.

One Nemneichong of Govajang village said that Govajang villagers have been facing an anxious situation since 2009.Because of the border fencing work, villagers are reluctant to build houses or any new structure even if they wish to though many of the existing houses are in need of repair.

The villagers wish to be clear whether the border fencing work would go on or will be put on hold, Nemneichong added.