Displaced persons in Manipur seek for resettlement

IMPHAL — Displaced villagers from Dolaithabi village in Manipur’s Imphal East district have urged the state authority to make necessary arrangements for their resettlement.

“We’ve been urging for our resettlement once again,” says Sapam Anggo, a village representative.

“Sometime ago, we’ve already approached the state chief minister in this regard,” said Kh Jiten, president of Dolaithabi Village Development Committee.

He informed that the villagers have submitted a written memorandum to the state governor to take up necessary security cover at Dolaithabi area by deploying well-equipped state security personnel before approaching the state chief minister.

According to the villagers of Dolaithabi, the state authority had even conducted necessary surveys for taking up resettlement initiatives in November last year by sending a team of senior district officials.

All the 37 houses of Dolaithabi village located at the adjoining area of Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts were burnt down by armed miscreants on four occasions after the violence was broke out on May 3 last year. Since then, almost all the villagers of Dolaithabi are taking shelter at prefabricated shelter houses constructed by the state government at Sajiwa and Sawombung areas in Imphal East district.

The displaced villagers seeking to return to their old places included those from some of the worst-affected villages such as Dolaithabi, Ekou, Sadu Yenguman, and Leitanpokpi located along the foothills under Khundrakpam area in Imphal East district. They have demanded the government to ensure security and protection for them to enable them to return to cultivation of fields to prevent famine and starvation in the coming days.