Displaced villagers appeal for security measures to help initiate farming activities
Source: The Sangai Express

Kakching, June 18 2023: After losing their homes to arson attacks and fleeing their homesteads, displaced citizens of Napat and Tangjeng Ahallup have shed light to their fear of being unable to farm and grow crops at all this year.

One Yumnam Ojit who is currently seeking shelter at a relief centre set up at Tangjeng Mangjing under Sugnu AC stated that Kuki militants had torched every house at Napat in the ongoing violence.

To save themselves, the women, elders and children fled to Kakching, Hiyanglam, Wabagai etc while the men sought refuge at the Tangjeng Mangjing relief camp, he said.

Stating that they are ordinary citizens with no weapons who are merely guarding the villages they were born in, Ojit further said that Napat is totally under the grasp of the Kuki militants and one cannot enter the village without being fired upon by the militants.

"We are simple farmers but under the prevailing circumstances there is no chance of us returning to Napat and cultivating our land", he rued.

He added that they had appealed to DC Bishnupur in this regard and received assurance that two companies of BSF will be deployed by June 19 for their protection.

However, no security forces have been deployed so far and villagers are afraid to return to their own villages, he said.

Expressing great displeasure with the State Government, Ojit stated that the administration has done nothing to alleviate the suffering of displaced citizens from Napat and Tangjeng.

Thus he appealed to the Government to carve out a way to enable them to cultivate their fields.

Meanwhile, one Chirom Birmangol (62) from Tangjeng Ahallup and currently sheltering at Chairel Makha Leikai relief centre expressed desire to return to his village and make preparations to cultivate his land.

He asserted that if the Government deploys adequate security forces at Tangjeng Ahallup then he, along with other villagers, will be able to go back.

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