Khengjoi villagers wary of landmines
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 03 2009: ollowing sporadic landmine explosions in different places under Khengjoi Block of Chandel district, and fearing presence of more landmines in the area, villagers are literally caught in a landmine hysteria.

Families already victimised by landmines and staying at Moreh in rented rooms are still wary of returning to their native villages for fear of landmines.

Speaking to media persons at Khuman Lampak Youth Centre today, secretary of the Association of Landmine Survivors Ginkholal Touthang said that many inhabitants of villages located under Khengjoi Block near the international boundary with Myanmar have been killed in landmine explosions while many others have been maimed for life.

A woman shows the scar incurred in a mine blast

Since 2001, more than 40 villagers have been killed in sporadic landmine explosions while many others sustained casualties of varying degrees.

Such casualties always resulted in untold misery to the victims and their impoverished families have to sell off their whatever little assets they have including annual rice harvest, domestic animals and even residential plots for treatment of the individuals injured in landmine explosions, Ginkholal Touthang said.

On the other hand, frightened with the possibility of landmine explosions anytime, any where, many villagers have left their homes and have been taking refuge at Moreh.

Many villages under Khengjoi Block such as New Somtal, Molcham, Hollenjang, Bongjoy, Molkom, Lalloiphai, Khengjoi and Aibol have been caught in the grip of landmine fear.

Saying that there have repeated instances of landmine explosions, Ginkholal Touthang, who is himself a victim of landmine, disclosed that he sustained injuries in the ears, head and neck.

Since then he has been suffering from hearing difficulties while his head could no longer any heavy object or load.

In addition to oozing out of fluid from the ears, he also suffered from lost of consciousness at times, Ginkholan conveyed.

Though he is a native of Molcham village, he has been staying at Moreh town for fear of any recurrence of landmine explosion.

Another landmine victim, Tilhat belonging to Molcham but staying at Moreh town, said that she suffered severe injuries on her waist in another instance of landmine explosion.

To meet medical bills for treatment, her family had sold of their house along with the plot.

After this, 500 tins of rice were also sold off.

But it was never enough.

Then the family started borrowing money from others.

Even as more than rupees one lakh had been spent on her treatment, Tilhat was still unable to do any heavy work.

"We don't want luxurious houses nor trendy cars but we yearn for peace where there is no fear for landmine", Tilhat said.

She confided that her children refused to go back to their village saying that bombs might blow up and gun fights might break out.

Highlighting the heavy toll taken by landmines and the untold misery being suffered by the villagers, the Association of Landmine Survivors will be submitting memoranda to the President, the Prime Minister, the Governor of Manipur and the Chief Minister soon, Ginkholal said.

The basic demands of the memoranda would be putting an immediate halt to planting landmines for the safety of innocent villagers, identification of areas already planted with landmines and putting up fencing around it.

The memoranda would also ask the Government to provide source of livelihood to landmine victims and to take up proper rehabilitation and resettlement measures for the people fleeing away from their homesteads because of the lurking landmine threats.

Another demand of the memoranda is that both State and non-State actors should ratify the UN Landmine Ban Treaty, Ginkholal elaborated.