IMPHAL, May 4: Tension remained between two neighbouring villages of Aimol and Maring tribes near Pallel Bazar in Chandel district over land.
The Khangoi village inhabited by the Maring tribes is a common cultivated land of nine different Aimol tribes, but the Maring tribes intruded into the land and ultimately established settlement in the 1960s, claimed Akhup Serto, president of Aimol Tribes Union, the apex body of tribes during a press meet at the Manipur Press club here on Friday.
He said the Aimol tribes filed a suit against the illegal intrusion of the Maring tribes in 1969 and the court finally ruled it that the occupants should leave the land and keep it vacant. However, the elders of that time showing sympathy let the Maring horde to stay further in the land, Serto added.
The two villages had been living together in peace and harmony for the last about five decades until W Mocha became chairman of Khangoi Khonou village in 2007 when the relation of the two villages turned sour, he further said.
He said in the last two-three years, a series of incidents had occurred in the two villages which included harassments, looting of food items from the villagers on the way.
Serto also accused W Mocha of illegally selling over 100 pine trees from Khangoi Khonou village in late March following which two villagers went to the site to enquire the cutting down of the tree on May 1 last when they were manhandled by a group of people including W Mocha.
On the next day, the violent standoff was resolved through a peaceful negotiation between the Aimol Tribes Union and Maring Uparup Assembly wherein W Mocha also promised to pay fine for the illegal cutting of woods, he further added. However, moments after the meeting, two water pipelines of the Aimol tribes were destroyed by unknown persons, Serto added.
Another meeting was organized to settle the issue on th breaking of pipelines in the evening the same day, he further added, saying that four representatives of Aimol Tribes Union were attacked and injured by some 20 people on the way after the meeting and that the unidentified people also forced them to abduct by forcibly putting them into a van. But, they left them at the spot as it was overcrowded.
The injured were B Allal, vice chairman and Ch Thangpa, general secretary of Aimol Tribes Union and now they are undergoing medical treatment at JNIMS as they received injuries in the heads.
Further, Serto said unidentified opened fire on a village located next to Khangoi Khunou village last night and the Aimol Tribes Union president appealed to all the villagers to stay calm and avoid unwanted incidents over the firing incident.
He also urged upon the major tribes and other communities in the state to help bring the normal situation so that the neighbouring villages can live together in peace and harmony.
the land belongs to Aimol Tribe not nine different Aimol Tribes as reported here
May there be peace between the two neighboring tribes. No tribe, in this age, can dominate other tribe and still be at peace. Gone are the days when men used to overpower other tribes or nations. Now we are living in a globalized time and we cannot think of overpowering or dominating other groups anymore.
The government of Manipur also should protect the smaller communities like Aimols. Where is the law of the land that is supposed to protect its citizens and ensure security for its people?
May the authority of the government act accordingly both in truth and in righteousness!