IMPHAL, August 31: Members of the Waiton Gram Panchayat, Ideal Club, Youth Development Association, Prince Club, Meira Paibi and Nisha Bandh from the Waiton area took out a mass rally against the decision of the State government to acquire land for expanding the premisies of the Manipur Police Training College today.
Sources said that the director of MPTC served a notice to the pradhan of the area and the YDA secretary to remove the fencing from land adjacent to the MPTC which included a playground, pond and a crematorium on June 21 this year.
According to the pradhan of Waiton GP, Pukrambam (0) Surbala, the land in question have always belonged to the people of the area from time immemorial. The pond is the main source of water during the time of water scarcity and the playground where the younger generations play have produced many national and even international players, she said.
This piece of land is our soul and we would sacrifice our lives if needed to safeguard it, she added.
More than 200 people took part in the mass rally which begin at the area in contention and came to halt in front of MPTC main gate. They held a sit-in protest after returning back to the area.