Ichum Keirap village residents seek justice
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 14 2022: Residents of Ichum Keirap village have appealed to the state government and CSOs in the state to deliver justice to the villagers and let them live peacefully.

Addressing a press meet at the village on Friday, local elder T Solen Kom recounted that the village authority gave refuge to the residents of Mongkotjang, Songphel and Taitah villages of Tamenglong district, who fled their villages during the 1992/93 ethnic conflict.

On January 16,1994, the then Ichum Keirap village Chairman M Khuchothang and Mongkotjang chief Larkhohao Telen came to an understanding in the presence of the then Governor VK Nair to co-exist at Ichum Keirap.

Since then, they have been living peacefully.

Unfortunately,' ever since L Rekhupsong became chairman of the village in 2017, he has been trying to create enmity among the villagers by classifying old and new settlers.

His dik tats on the villagers led to a heated argument during the general assembly of the village held in February last year, T Solen claimed.

The village elder that maintained that consequent to the general assembly, the chairman's brother in law M Chungkhohao (Haopu) made several statements to the media against the constitution of the village and the issue was blown out of proportion.

Later, the village chairman submitted letters to the Governor, DC and SDO concerned to ask the new settlers and their descendants to return to Tamenglong district, he said.

After submitting the letters, the chairman started imposing various restrictions against those who settled in the village since 1992/93 while making unfounded claims of some organisations threatening the village authority over their settlement.

Even after settling in the village for over 30 years, the chairman is now calling them refugees, he said while urging all the residents not to use the term refugee in the context of the issue.

Maintaining that they have relevant documents to proof their residency and they will not relocate under any circumstances, T Solen Kom drew attention of the government and CSOs to resolve the matter at the earliest.

Comment