Fleeing villagers give poll boycott call
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 18 2009: Villagers who left their homesteads and fled to safer areas have resolved to boycott second phase of the 15th Lok Sabha election in case the ongoing Operation Summer Storm is not suspended.

A decision to this effect was adopted at a public meeting attended by the displaced villagers today.

Before the meeting, the villagers who are taking shelter at relief camps opened at Laphupat Tera Khunou, Arong Khunjao and Ithai took out a protest rally demanding a halt to the military operation inside Keibul Lamjao National Park.

Villagers from Loktak Lake areas at a protest meeting where resolution was adopted to boycott Parliament election.

The also demanded to allow them live in their own homes and allow children attend schools and also to save the live of endangered Sangai.

The protest rally which started simultanously from Ithai, Laphupat Tera Khunou and Arong Khunjao culminated Nongmaikhong Junior High School where a public meeting was held.

The meeting resolved to boycott the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in case the ongoing operation is not suspended.

It also asked to allow the villagers live in peace at their homes.

In the course of the protest rally, the villagers used placards which read as "Stop using civilian as human shield", "We want peace", "Stop bombing in Keibul Lamjao National Park", "Let the people live in peace", etc.

Speaking at the meeting, one Sushila of Nongmaikhong but taking shelter at Ithai relief camp said that the operation has violated the right to life of the villagers.

Children have been prevented from attending schools.

"We cannot accept army personnel occupying our houses neither we agree to security personnel using our firewood and utilising our utensils", Sushila alleged.

One Lata, an inmate of Arong relief camp, lamented that they could not earn anything for the last eight days despite the fact that their only source of livelihood is fishing and collection of vegetables.

"As of now, we are living on the donation of people.

But how could we recuperate for the lost time", she said.

Convenor of the Ithai relief camp K Gyaneshore decried that the Government remains totally indifferent even as the ongoing operation has been causing untold miseries to the villagers.

The reported inconsistent statements of the Chief Minister that he did not have any knowledge of the operation and the DGP that the operation has been continuing successfully exposed the fact that the Government has been bamboozling the people.

Meira Paibi activists taking part in the meeting said that they would move into the area of operation and offer their lives in case people are not allowed to live in normal atmosphere by bringing the operation to an end at the earliest.