Tuinuphai bodies refute, recount events
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 08 2014: Refuting claims and reports about some villagers of Tuinuphai in Ccpur district fleeing the village last month over a reported land dispute case, Tuinuphai VA, Youth Club, KNP, KKP and Local Church Committee have clarified that there are no refugees from Tuinuphai as reported in the media.

A joint press statement issued by the Tuinuphai bodies today said that Letsei Vaiphei, owner of the village and its land, received a letter from one Michael Zou, Home Secretary of a militant outfit on Dec 19 last year.

On the strength of that letter, around 31 persons led by one Tongkhogin Tungdim and Jamlal Lhungdim forcibly entered the village on Dec 20 in one truck and a Tata Winger with weapons.

They camped at the vacated house of one Kaizathang Tungdim, now a permanent resident of Zouveng, Ccpur, who is also one of the masterminds of the scheme.

The next day, they went about the business of conducting social work in the village without informing the concerned authority which is against tribal customary laws and Christian practice and laws of the land.

Confrontation was inevitable but the timely intervention of Church and VA members saved the situation from being spiralled out of control.

Eventually, Tongkhogin and party left the village around 4.30PM.When the party reached Ccpur, a conspiracy was hatched to mislead and misrepresent the facts by setting up a refugee camp at Zogal Hall.

An absurd and ridiculous figure of about 100 persons from 30 families fleeing Tuinuphai village was fed to the press.

Shortly afterward, they left for their respective house, the joint statement said.

Based on false allegation, they filed an FIR at Ccpur PS on Dec 22 against ten innocent villagers.

On the basis of the FIR, the police conducted a spot enquiry and no evidence was found to substantiate their allegations, it stated.

Saying that the attitude of the DC (I/c) was biased which has the potential to pit one tribe against another that could snowball into a large scale communal violence, the joint statement also said that the DC (I/c)'s attitude was condemnable.

It also said that around 30 women started attacking the unsuspecting women of Tuinuphai and disrupted the officials from conducting a spot enquiry on Jan 7 at the village.

While appreciating the generosity of the AMUCO and UCM in extending help to people sheltered at Zogal Hall who claimed to have fled Tuinuphai village, the joint statement reiterated that there are no refugees from Tuinuphai village.

It also condemned all 'biased' actions initiated by the civil society organisations and Govt which could vitiate the situation while urging all concerned to desist from carrying out false propaganda to hoodwink the public and the Govt.The Tuinuphai bodies further appealed the concerned authority to book the real culprits at the earliest for fomenting social tension in the area and for issuing misleading statements aimed at serving their vested interest.

It also urged all concerned not to interfere in the internal matter of Tuinuphai as the village chief and its villagers are competent enough to deal with its own problems.

It further warned that it would not remain silent if the warning is unheeded while adding that any outsider involved in the matter should be held solely responsible for any eventuality arising out of it.

Comment