No record of Gwaltabi Kuki village in TA & H dept: Sapam Kangleipal
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 05 2025: RPI (Athawale), Manipur unit vice-president Sapam Kangleipal has appealed department not to take up any development work in the name of Gwaltabi Kuki village while claiming that Tribal Affairs & Hills department had clearly declared no record of existence of Gwaltabi Kuki village.

Addressing media persons at Manipur Press Club Saturday, Sapam Kangleipal said villagers of Gwaltabi fled after the violence erupted on May 3, 2023 but the Kukis attempted to convert the village as Gwaltabi Kuki village.

In this regard, an RTI application was filed at Tribal Affairs & Hills department and the department returned the answer with no record of existence of Gwaltabi Kuki village.

Accordingly, a public meeting was held and unanimously decided to approach land resource department to initiate legal action against those trying to convert Gwaltabi village as Gwaltabi Kuki village, he said adding that a formal complaint had already been submitted to secretary (land resource department).

According to Sapam Kangleipal, Gwaltabi village under Lamlai assembly constituency in Imphal East district has only government employees and hence remain poor.

However, it is responsibility of the people living nearby to save Gwaltabi village or else villagers currently taking shelter in relief camps would find no place to return when the present crisis happens to resolve and normalcy returns.

While stating that Tribal Affairs & Hills department should look into emergence of many new and unauthorised villages in Gwaltabi and other areas, Sapam Kangleipal expressed fear that many areas of Manipur might fall into the hands of illegal immigrants if authority concerned fail to look into the matter seriously.

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