Sailent village presents its side of the story
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 08 2013: Presenting their side of the story, R Hongprang, Headman of Sailent Village has contended that Seijang villagers, armed with lethal weapons, attacked Sailent village on May 3 despite a case pending at the Court.

Accusing Seijang villagers of making wild and false allegations in order to cover up their illegal and brutal acts against Sailent Village, R Hongprang, Headman of Sailent Village in a statement said that the village has been established since a long time back with a well recognised boundary and inhabited by around 400 villagers with 66 Hill House Tax paying households.

The village is bounded by Ontorokong to the North, Paokholokong to the South, and Toiching Chingyang to the East and Neipi river to the West, he said.

R Maipileng was the recognised Headman of Sailent village and the Hill House Tax was paid in his name till his death in 1999 .

Following his death, R Hongprang, the son of (L) Maipileng inherited and assumed the headmanship and the Hill House Tax has been paid in his name till date.

The DC/Senapati accorded recognition to the headmanship of R Hongprang through an order dated 11-8-2009 passed in connection with the Hill Misc Case No 3 of 2009, the headman said.

Sailent villagers have been possessing the entire village land as their own by establishing village house site in the middle of the entire village land and also possessed other parts by cultivating paddy plants and other seasonal crops from time to time.

In other parts of the village land, they maintained 'Uyok' by growing various trees.

In 1968, Senjam Tolenjao Singh of Seijang village instituted an original suit No 12 of 1968 at Subordinate Judge, Manipur against R Maipileng and Sailent villagers praying for eviction of the defendants from an alleged Uyok described in Scheduled B of the plaint, on the plea that the villagers of Seijang were given the right to use forest products of the hill area shown in Scheduled A as permitted by the erstwhile Durbar Resolution No 10-A of 20-7-1932 .

Sailent villagers contested the suit.

But the Subordinate Judge, Manipur decreed the suit for ejection of Sailent villagers from the suit land B by demolishing the standing structures thereon.

On appeal, the Additional District Judge, Manipur confirmed the original Court's decree in Civil Appeal No 109/69 of 1970, Judgement and Decree dated Nov 23, 1973.Thereafter, the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench in Second Appeal No 7 of 1974 confirmed the said decree as per order dated May 25, 1979 .

During the period when the Second Appeal No 7 of 1974, remained pending, the Government of Manipur issued a notification under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act signifying Government's intention to constitute Yaingangpokpi Reserve Forest covering 18.8 sq miles which is bounded in the North by Mahadev Lok running down from Ukhrul road Mahadev Chingphei to Thoubal River; Thoubal River in the East; Napet Ningthemchakhul Tamu-khong Road in the South and Gwaltabi Reserve Forest boundary from north to South-West until it reaches Lomon Chingkhong and then following the foothill until it reaches Napet Ningthemcha-khul Tumu-khong road in the West.

As a result of a claim by R Maipileng, the then Forest Settlement Officer, Manipur, after making proper enquiry, set apart the village land of Sailent from proposed reserve forest through an order dated March 12, 1975 passed in Objection Case No 24(D)/75.After obtaining the said decree, Senjam Tolenjao Singh filed an Execution Case No 19/71/26/74/27 of 1981 before Subordinate Judge No 2, Manipur.

R Maipileng filed application under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure challenging the executability of the decree.

After hearing the parties, the SJ No 2 passed an order on January 31, 1989 to the effect that the said decree is inexecutable.

No appeal or revision has been filed by Seijang villagers against the order, the headman said.

Later in the last part of 1989, on the basis of the report of the then Forest Settlement Officer, Manipur, the Commissioner (Forest), Govt of Manipur issued an order declaring the Yaingangpokpi Reserve Forest covering 18.8sq miles having the same boundary as notified earlier.

At the time of publishing it in the Manipur Gazette, the village land of Sailent was set part.

Seijang villagers led by one H Tombi Singh on March 30, 2009, April 2-4, 2009 and April 10, 2009 stealthily trespassed in the North Western corner of the Sailent village, which has been reserved as Uyok.

Armed with dangerous weapons, the alleged trespassers cut down various types of trees, collected timbers and firewoods besides setting the Uyok on fire, he alleged.

They even committed mischief in the part of the village where the Church and Cemetery located.

The illegal acts of Seijang villagers were reported to the OC of Lamlai PS on April 12, 2009 and Senapati DC on April 13 .

As no action came up, R Hongprang, Headman of Sailent village instituted an Original Suit No 1 of 2009 in the Court of Civil Judge (Junior Div)/ Kangpokpi against Seijang villagers praying for declaration of the Headman as the rightful owner and possessor of the suit land (Sailent vill) and permanent injunction restraining the defendants, their villagers, agents and privies from trespassing and from disturbing the peaceful possession of the suit land by the Sailent villagers.

Despite the case remaining pending at the Court, Seijang villagers armed with lethal weapons attacked Sailent village on May 3 .

Notwithstanding the facts, Sejang villagers started making hostile claims and concocted allegation to cover up their illegal deeds, the headman said.

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