After not an inch to be ceded stand, Delhi takes one more step forward
Join team of officials, political parties to survey fencing
Source: The Sangai Express / N Hanghal/Manipur Info Centre

New Delhi, December 05 2013: A delegation of Home Ministry to be led by Joint Secretary Shambhu Singh along with officials from Border Management and Survey of India will visit the State to conduct a spot verification of the fencing work and the 'disputed areas' along Indo-Myanmar border within Manipur.

The team will arrive on Saturday Dec 7 .

The all political party delegation led by Chief Minister, Manipur, Okram Ibobi Singh, today met the Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde at 1 pm in North Block here to discuss the issues relating to Indo- Myanmar border fencing falling within the State of Manipur.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Home Ministry, Surveyer General of India, Border Roads Organisation and Assam Rifles.

After detailed discussions on the issues involved, it was resolved that a joint delegation of all officials concerned of Government of India alongwith all political parties of Manipur including the State Government will conduct a spot verification of the fencing work and the disputed boundary pillars on December 7 & 8 .

The Union Home Minister also instructed the Border Roads Organisation to immediately suspend the fencing work going on in Manipur, till the issues raised in the meeting are settled.

Members of the all-political team with Prime Minister

Meanwhile, Joint Secretary of the Union Home Ministry informed The Sangai Express that the final decision of replacing the AR with BSF along the India - Myanmar Border has not been taken yet.

The Chief Minister and members of the all political party delegates are expected to return to Imphal tomorrow.

The issue of border fencing came to the present stage after a series of news items and articles were published on the imminent loss of Manipur's territory.

The issue was first brought to public attention through media by the Committee on Protection of Land in Border Fencing.

Being a sensitive issue, political parties including the ruling party as well as civil organisations took up the issue of border fencing as their foremost agenda.

After some civil organisations and political parties visited the border fencing site separately and pointed out that Manipur would loss large tracts of its territory due to border fencing, the Government convened all political party meeting.

As decided as the meeting, an all party delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam went to the border fencing site and affirmed the public apprehension.

In the meantime, MPP organised an open public discussion programme on the issue.

As decided at the gathering, MPP was demanding immediate halt to the border fencing work.

In the second phase, the State Government convened another all party meeting and decided to take up the matter at the level of Prime Minister and other central leaders.

However, BJP and MPP stayed away from second round of all party meeting.

MPP contended that the Congress party was befooling the public by proposing to other political parties to tackle the issue collectively.

Pointing that the Congress party is in power both in the State and the Centre, MPP asserted that it was within their power to halt the border fencing work.

On the other hand, BJP blamed the Congress Government particularly Chief Minister O Ibobi for giving his approval to construct the border fence right through the Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary.

The BJP State unit was also demanding an apology from the Chief Minister.

Notably, it was in line with the decision adopted at the second round of all political party meeting that the joint delegation went to New Delhi and took up the issue with the Prime Minister, the Union Minister and other relevant officials.