By Grace Jajo
IMPHAL June 23: It is imperative to safeguard the sole source of livelihood and green environment not just for the present generation but also for the future generations, replied the wise chief of Haolenphai, Lalkhohun Haokip when a team of women journalist visited his village on June 21 and counter his position against the proposed Smart City in his village.
The apathy of the State government is apparent from the lack of any visible governance in the village which does not even have a Government Primary School despite an official household numbering 82 with a population of above 300.
We have submitted memorandum to the Chief Minister, the Governor and the chief secretary last year, against the proposal which threatens to forcefully acquire a huge area of 3000 acres from our Jhum farms. We are Jhumias and this is the sole livelihood that sustains the people of the village. We have repeatedly appealed to the Government to explore an alternative site instead, he said.
Compensation and Rehabilitation packages cannot ensure the livelihood of the people who would be denied access to this farm lands. If the State government is insensitive to the plight of the people it will be an imposition since this was not our proposal for development, he said with anticipatory apprehension.
He also informed about the support to his position from both Kuki Inpi and Kuki Student Organisation. `How would a `Smart city`™ benefit illiterate villagers who live as farmers by toiling this land? How would we participate in such modernity?` he asked reteriating that land is a more lasting asset for the villagers.
He further explained the misconceptions against Jhum, of adhering strictly to Jhumia norms and the whole regeneration process which has sustained the green environment through the generations.
He continued relating the woes, In this remote periphery international border area, our rights are infringed on various aspects. The Burmese fencing has intruded more than a kilometer within the Indian side, but till date the State Government has not been able to restore our traditional boundary.
It might be mention that following series of report on the encroachment, all Manipur political parties along with several Civil society organizations had surveyed the fencing and accordingly submitted a complaint to the centre. Yet nothing much has followed beyond that and at the ground, Burmese armies has built a bunker and station in the disputed territory on the Indian side.
The chief shares the need to involve the villagers on both side of the border to demarcate the actual traditional boundary and relocate the pillar at the original place.
Haolenphai village inhabited by Kuki community in Chandel is one of the two proposals for Smart cities site in Manipur. Out of the total 100 proposed Smart Cities, only Assam, Sikkim and Manipur were listed.
`Smart City`™ is an initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the pressure off Indian metros and build 100 new Smart Cities by 2022 that will have supposedly better facilities, better connectivity and better environment. The Smart City vision was announced by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the first Union Budget of NDA government in July last year. Accordingly the Union Cabinet has approved 100 Smart City Projects.