Andro clarifies on land tiff
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 20 2014 :
Reacting to a news report about incursion into Sandangsenba Maring village, people of Andro have clarified that they carried out a demarcation exercise peacefully after some people started felling trees within the sacred site of Chaphhu Uppi located on the historical Shalot Ching.
They maintained that they never posed any challenge to any of the neighbouring villages.
The clarification was made by Andro Khullakpa Chingakham Gandhar Meitei during a press meet held at Panam Ningthou complex this morning.
Even though the sacred place of the sylvan deity shares its border with Sandangsenba Maring village, it comes under the territory of Andro, he added.
Giving further clarification regarding the demarcation carried out on September 17, he asserted that on August 8 some residents of Uchal village were caught by Andro village guards after they (residents of Uchal village) cut down a tree in the area of Chaphhu Uppi sacred place.
When being interrogated the caught villagers answered that they cut the tree with the consent of the Sandangsenba Maring Village Authority.
As the tree was cut down from the sacred place of the sylvan deity, people of Andro informed the Uchal Village Authority to perform a ritual before the Umang Lai for their wrongdoing.
Later a settlement was brought about under which Uchal Village Authority gave Rs 15000 to the people of Andro as a settlement amount.
Later, on September 2 the Khullakpa of Andro called the Uchal Village Authority to a meeting in which land demarcation of the area was to be decided.
However, Uchal village Authority did not turn up at the meeting.
It was crucial to clarify the misunderstanding, Gandhar added.