Manipur unrest: Kukis living in Assam pay the price?
Guwahati: As the ethnic clashes between Kukis and Meiteis entered seven months in Manipur since May 3, Kukis living in Assam have to pay the price for it.
Three Kuki families who had been living at Moirapur village under Palashbari revenue circle in Kamrup, Assam were evicted on Thursday.
The eviction drive was taken out by the district administration of Kamrup following the directive of West Guwahati MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita.
According to an official report, three families, who had illegally occupied land at Moirapur villages, were evicted by a team of administration led by Palashbari circle officer Himadri Borah.
The eviction drive which was conducted by the district administration from 8 am concluded in the afternoon.
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“Three luxurious houses and their properties were demolished in the drive. They were not indigenous tribes of Assam but migrated from Manipur. Based on complaints lodged by the local residents, the administration took out this drive,” official sources said.
“A section of local residents submitted a written complaint to AGP MLA from West Guwahati Ramendra Narayan Kalita. The district administration has launched the drive following Kalita’s request,” they added.
There are seven Kuki families in the village. Two families stay at the rented accommodation.
However, three Kuki persons whose houses were evicted, alleged that the district administration has targeted them even as many people from other communities have been living in “touji land” at Moirapur.
Lempu Vaiphei, Ngamreila Haokip and Laalromawj Hmar alleged the people have sheltered some Kuki people who fled from Manipur due to the ongoing volatile situation since May this year. “They are supposed to return to their homes once the situation is under control in Manipur”, they said.
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In a letter to the Kamrup district commissioner, they said on November 12, the Kamrup superintendent of police along with the Palashbari circle officer went to the village to enquire about the settlement and construction of new houses by internally displaced Kuki people from Manipur.
The villagers informed the police team that no person from Manipur had settled or constructed any infrastructure in the village, but some Kukis had been sheltered in their houses, they said.
However, on November 15, in charge of the Rani police outpost visited the village and collected the identity cards of four families who are local residents and staff of Oasis Academy.
“All of them have voter IDs and Aadhar cards since they have been living in the village for more than 15 years,” they further said.
On November 18, the circle officer along with her team visited the village and informed them that the plots belonging to dag No 309 and 1298 were under “touji land” and asked them to vacate the houses at the earliest.
“The entire area is under touji land and occupied by people from various communities but the administration targeted only the Kuki families leaving aside other occupants,” they said.
“We have applied for conversion of touji land to myadi patta early this year and are waiting for the final conversion,” Vaiphei said and urged the district commissioner to revisit the eviction drive,” they added.
Additionally, the district administration has directed Oasis Academy, a rural school established by Oasis India, a national charity based in Bangalore, to vacate its premises. Some members of the displaced families are employed at the school.
