IMPHAL, May 18: The JAC formed against the proposed eviction of Lei Ingkhol village convened a meeting at the village and deliberated on the proposed eviction.
It may be mentioned that the government had decided to evict the Lei-Ingkhol village and acquire it for the expansion of the newly constructed High Court complex.
Today’s meeting was attended by representatives of the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation, United Committee Manipur, Citizens’ Concern for Dams & Development, Civil Liberties and Human Rights Organizations, National Identity Protection Committee, Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi lup, Just Peace Foundation, Life Watch, Human Rights Alert, Forum for Indigenous Perspectives and Action and Ethno Heritage Council.
The meeting which was presided over by JAC president W Basanta resolved that any attempt on the part of the government to encroach and grab land at Lei-Ingkhol without the consent of the people will be opposed and condemned in the strongest terms.
It was further resolved to defend against all means and tactics of the government to grab land.
Meanwhile, the JAC expressed that the villagers of Lie-Ingkhol had been on a movement to defend the village since February 2005.
However the movement was temporarily suspended on September 12, 2006 after an assurance from the then Union Minister of Labour Oscar Fernandes to defend the village.
The movement was reinitiated after the government issued a notification on December 16, 2010 to continue with the proposed eviction.
A statement of the JAC said that for a considerable period of time the people remained silent by the false promises of the electoral candidates to defend Lei-Ingkhol. As the result of the failure to receive any positive reply to the memorandums submitted to the CM and the Governor’s indifferent attitude on the ground of helplessness, the JAC was reconstituted.