Governor urged to secure fields, compensate farmers
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 04 2025: Moirang Kendra Apunba Loumee Shinmi Amasung Nupi Lup (MKAL-SANL) submitted a memorandum to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla seeking appropriate measures to make the agricultural fields secure and provide compensation to the violence affected farmers.

In the memorandum, MKALSANL secretary L Manglem pointed out that more than 3,000 hectares of agricultural land within Bishnupur district alone could not be cultivated since May 3, 2023, due to frequent attacks by Kuki narco-terrorists resulting an annual loss of more than 8 lakh paddy bags within the district.

As the denizens mostly depend on agriculture for sustenance failure to tend to their fields is a potential economic crisis, Manglem said while terming as shameful that in-spite of being a federal state of the country, civilian life and property could not be secured for nearly 20 months.

"This raises serious doubts as to why tens of thousands of army and paramilitary have been deployed if they haven't been, instructed to safeguard civilian life, property and liberty.

The government has also undermined the urgency to provide compensation to the affected farmers as many are yet to receive compensation for 2023," he rued.

Urging the Governor to secure the agricultural fields, which are their source of livelihood, Manglem called for deployment of committed security personnel to ward off attackers by Kuki militants from their vantage points, rather than driving farmers away from their fields, which is akin to directly supporting the terrorists.

Farming is the primary source of income for the majority of the public, he explained, while requesting to provide compensation for affected farmers who have already applied online for the year 2024.This is particularly urgent since the harvest season ended in November 2024, he added.

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