Moreh belongs to all indigenes: My Manipur
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, November 02 2023:
Asserting that Moreh town belongs to every indigenous community of the state, My Manipur has made it clear that no community can claim ownership of this integral part of India.
In a release, My Manipur spokesperson Bedajeet H pointed out that in the last few days, press releases and statements of some tribal bodies objecting to deployment of state forces in Moreh have appeared and falsely terming it as an "act of aggression" .
Photos of banners with words such as "Protest against forceful occupation of Moreh by Meiteis", etc., have also surfaced.
The people of Manipur take these baseless claims very seriously and consider it necessary to keep the record straight once and for all with clear records and facts.
Informing that Yangoupokpi Lokchao was declared as a reserved forest in 1946 by the Manipur State Darbar and later declared a wildlife Sanctuary by the Forest Department in 1989, he continued that the entire forest is bounded by Waksu Lok to the north, Lokchao river to the south, boundary pillars 15 to 22 to the east and to the west the course of the Lokchao river which meets the main Burma road near Sibong and then following the bridle path going to Leibi to a branch of Namjet lok near Dolaibung Kuki.
In extent it will cover roughly about 60 Sq miles.
As per the schedule, the important villages nearby Yangoupokpi Sanctuary are Moreh, Govajang, Satang, Saikul, Dolaidung Kuki, Kampang, Leibi Kuki, Kwatha, Khudengthabi and Lokchao.
The spokesperson maintained that the declaration of Yangoupokpi Lokchao as a Reserved Forest and a wild life sanctuary were made before the creation of Tengnoupal district in 2016.Stating that the state government already has full and complete authority to deploy its forces at any location within the territorial jurisdiction of the entire state of Manipur, Bedajeet explained that with Moreh town coming under Yangoupokpi Wild Life Sanctuary, it is also the bounden duty of the state government to conserve and protect the area by exercising its power and deployment of any law enforcement agencies as required and necessary.
So, Moreh town and the surrounding areas which come under the Yangoupokpi Lokchao Reserved Forest do not belong to any particular community in Manipur.
No community, CSOs, village chiefs, groups or bodies have right to claim it as theirs and they do not have authority over it.
Any organisation which is involved in distorting facts and history to advance their interest must stop the manipulation immediately, he added.