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in the reserve forest area and paddy again, it is stated out that this area is un- the government side. Moreover, it is
agricultural wet land act? What are the der forest reserve land. They claimed not covered the so-called Lamyanba
rehabilitation programmes arranged that they sent numbers of notification Robinhood cemetery area. Why is it so?
by the government for the evicted peo- to the villagers to shift to other areas for The issue is cast doubt upon and not
ple? All these questions need to be an- resettlement. They started eviction pro- answerable.
swered in the present hour. cess since 2015 in different places such All Manipur Muslim Organisation’s
As far as the question of historical as 15 houses in Langol area, 78 houses Coordinating Committee (AMMOCOC)
background of Kshetri Bengoon Awang in Heigang reserve forest, etc. It stated and other representatives of Pangal’s
Ching Mamang issue is concerned, it that ‘the eviction drive is not vested CSOs through the 36 hours total shut-
is necessitated that there are around against any person or community but down all over the state on April 10,
74 houses including Masjid, Madar- in the interest of people of the state 2018, have been firstly opposing on
sas, government schools, etc. They ob- and to conserve the environment. The the recent opaque and cloudy opera-
tained all the government facilities like Government needs full cooperation of tion of government stunt emphasising
water supply, aadhaar card, enrolling the people.’ This issue is being stayed on the displacement of some houses
in the electoral roll since their settle- back by the High Court of Manipur for approximately 74 houses of minor-
ment in the region, establishment of some time. Without informing to them ity community numbering around 410
government anganwadhi centre, etc. and untouchably other houses belong- (yelhoumees/Pangals) from several
Their total number of population is ap- ing to local community and tribes, they places under the pretext of reserve for-
proximately 410 members. All of them started demolishing forcibly all the 74 est land. There was hue and cry all over
drifted and relocated from other parts houses with the help of thousands of the state regarding this issue. There was
of Manipur such as Irong, Mayang Im- hugely lathi charged of police who used
phal, Kairang, Hatta, Golapati, Kshetri tear gas to drive out the masses in the
Bengoon and its adjoining areas. They The state assembled areas. Many persons got se-
started settling in that region since the government had rious injured in the police brutality and
beginning of 1970s. Why they made lathi-charged. They have not paid the
their dragging is probably because of started eviction compensation for the serious injury
the point that they could not get the process since 2015 caused to them. This total shutdown
bounteous space in their earlier set- was called off due to the mutual un-
tlement areas and search for inhabita- in different places derstanding and signed an agreement
tion. They are yelhoumees (indigenous such as 15 houses that there would be an amicable solu-
community) of the state not the ‘illegal’ tion within three weeks between the
migrants with the exception of three in Langol area, 78 government and the CSOs of Pangals
as claimed by the government skepti- particularly under the leadership of
cally. On the other hand, it is distinctly houses in Heigang AMMOCOC emphasising on the know-
evident that no one even including the reserve forest, etc ing of the sentiments of the affected
historians, anthropologists, sociolo- villagers.
gists, ethnologists has knowledge and By violating the above signed agree-
put a question with respect to the large paramilitary forces. The problem is that ment, not informing about the final case
number of ‘illegal’ migrants around the evicted area is only covered under verdict undergoing in the High Court of
400 members from Bangladesh and the forest reserve land in 1990. Thus Manipur and betraying the CSOs, full of
its contiguous territories particularly the question comes as how many of heavy paramilitary forces exercised by
belonging to the local community of the reserve forest areas have not been the government of Manipur camped in
Manipur. They started settling in Dur- evicted and how many got evicted in the evening and grouped stage by stage
gapur (presently Lamdai Khunou) of other local community and tribal areas. towards the surrounding area for the
Jiribam constituency since 2003 after There are 2,799 illegally encroached demolition of Kshetri Bengoon Awang
being displaced all the earlier settlers constructed houses in different areas of Ching Mamang areas houses except
who had inhabited in it since 1920s. Manipur as shown some of them in the the mosque. There was resistant from
They obtained all the government fa- Statistical Handbook of Manipur 2002. some sections of the nearby areas in-
cilities. How and why they settled there Even a step has not been taken so far cluding the CSOs of the representatives
is one serious question that needs to be with respect to the eviction process but of the Manipuri Muslims but could not
addressed. This is possibly due to poli- they targeted the minority dominated get enough strength to fight with the
tics of displacement. areas. Why is it so? This is quite surpris- government forces for stoppage of the
When the question of the roles of ing seeing the step done by the govern- eviction process. Instead of trying to
government towards the eviction pro- ment towards the minority community. bring a peaceful solution, government
cess has been being asked time and The response is not yet confirmed from enforced huge security forces and

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