Rare documents lost in forest office arson
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 22 2023:
Several rare documents, which would be found nowhere, have been completely destroyed when Kuki miscreants burned several forest offices from the last week of April till June this year.
According to a senior official from the state forest head office, the first forest office burned by Kuki miscreants was the range office of Tuibong on April 29.On May 3, before, during and after the violence broke out, 15 forest offices were razed to the ground by the Kuki miscreants with the DFO office of Pherzawl the last structure to be torched on June 24 .
The senior official said that FIRs have been filed at the police station concerned in relation with the burning of forest offices.
However, police have not intimated any progress of the investigations.
Apart from the infrastructure, furniture and other equipment, several rare documents and records were also reduced to ashes during the act of arson.
The documents include notification for reserved forests, maps of protected and reserved forests, old documents and official correspondences among others.
After the April 29 arson of Tuibong RFO's office, officials of a few forest office managed to shift some important documents to safer locations as a precautionary measure.
However, maximum of the important documents have been lost to the May 3 incident.
The forest offices, which were burnt on May 3, are located in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal districts, which is dominated by Kuki community.
Seven forest offices were burnt in Churachandpur district and they include DFO office in Bijang, forest beat offices in Saikot, Mata Moltam, Mualum, S Kwatlian, Singhat, and forest range office in Tuilungjam (Henglep).
Miscreants also vandalised and burnt official documents, files, properties in front of Bungmaul forest beat office though the office was spared as there were some residential houses of Kukis adjacent to the forest office.
Five forest offices were burnt in Kangpokpi district and they include DFO office & forest range office in Motbung, forest beat office in Sapermeina, forest range office in Kangpokpi, forest range office in Saikul and forest beat office in Kotlien.
At the same time, two offices in Tengnoupal - forest range office and forest IB office (old) in Moreh were burnt on May 3.A mob also attacked and attempted to burn DFO office Jiribam on May 3 around 8.30 pm but security forces, forest officials and local residents foiled the attempt.
On the same day, a violent mob also burnt gate and furniture of the forest beat office located at Phoubakchao in Bishnupur district.
On May 4 at around 8 pm, a group of mob attacked and vandalised DFO office in Tengnoupal district, the source added.