Border fencing sans consent of villagers ICHAM to launch agitation
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 29 2016 : Informa-tion Centre for Hill Areas, Manipur (ICHAM) has said that they will strongly oppose the move of the Centre and State Governments to resume border fencing without the consent of the villagers at disputed areas.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference held at Manipur Press Club, ICHAM president N Rajendro said that following a joint survey conducted by a two-member team of Surveyor General of India and three-member team of its Myanmar counterpart on December 20, 2015, the Government decided to resume border fencing.

However, this decision has caused displeasure to the affected villagers as they were not consulted during the joint survey, Rajendro said.

He said that ICHAM had earlier requested the Government to consult the representatives of village organisations and village chiefs during the joint survey.

Claiming that the survey was conducted without giving any prior information to the villagers, Rajendro said that the State Government must be held responsible for allowing the team of Surveyor General of India to conduct the survey.

Officials concerned of the Central Government and members of the All Political Parties Committee and others had visited the site and assured the people of Manipur that resurvey would be conducted in the larger interest of the people.

As such, the sudden move has raised serious question on the credibility of the State Government, he added.

ICHAM would launch an intense agitation if the State Government and Central Government forcefully resume border fencing, he cautioned.

ICHAM general secretary Ngachonmi Ramshang said that Committee on Protection of Land in Border Fencing (CPLBF) and ICHAM had submitted memoranda pressing seven different demands on border fencing to the Chief Minister and Governor in 2013.The demands include prevention of road development for fencing purposes, detection of the exact spots where border pillars were there earlier, spelling out the purpose of erecting sub-pillars by AR and BROs, spelling out whether the proposed fencing is border fencing or security fencing, demarcation of the actual border line drawn during the British Government, clarification on the map found on Google map and resurvey of the border area.

In Ukhrul district, 2406 households of 28 villages having population of 12,788 people including 6793 voters would be affected by border fencing.

In Chandel district, 564 households of 15 villages having a population of 4,728 people including 3171 voters would be affected, he said.

As such, the Government can't resume border fencing without consulting them, he said.

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