By: C. Doungel
When Moreh hogs the limelight, it is mostly about the baser elements of human activities coming to play. Starting from the alleged abduction of more than 400 Kuki villagers by Meitei insurgent with the help of Mynmaar army in Molcham area and the denial that they had merely been dispersed from their grouping centres for cultivation to their respective villages, tensions had been building up. The lay of the land in the border areas as I am informed, is such that one has to pass through Mynmaar territory at some points while travelling in that area. Innocent acts of passing through could (and we know the law can be a donkey at such times) and detaining such people on the plea of looking for sabotours can be interpreted in many ways. Considering that a low intensity war is going on there and valley insurgents were flushed out from their strongly entranced positions in that area, anything is possible. There was a violent demonstration by Kuki Students organisation on 23rd March in Delhi with support of most other hill students organisations. They were badly battered by Delhi Police. The irony is that no one bothered to ascertain the factual position- not even the Government of India. Those who call the tune must be having the last laugh.
The epicentre thereafter shifted to Moreh. Amidst claims and counterclaims of sabotages and hired killings, all hell broke loose on 9th June 2007 when 11 persons were killed. The most unfortunate thing is that all of them were not only innocent victims but five of them hailed from Khurai. As soon as news reached Khurai, spontaneous rampage took place. In fact, some innocent passengers from Saikul bus were dragged out but no harm could be done because of intervention by some sane people and also by the state police. Tension was high at Imphal but state police took effective precautionary measures. Many organisations also took leading parts in calming the situation.
In Moreh, curfew was imposed and heavy para-military forces led by seniormost police officials were rushed and deployed. Supplies of essential commodities to Moreh from Imphal and Mynmaar were cut off causing acute scarcity. Power failures and lack of amenities added to the misery of sojouners. Cramming inside the heated bowl of Moreh town in the height of summer heat, took its toll. These manifested in frayed tempers, so much so that many personnel of the para military forces went berserk, almost causing mutiny. Meanwhile, thaw in the stand off between two communities (Kukis and Meiteis) came after days of relentless efforts made by public leaders and officers. Restoration of normalcy was marked by the usual chanting of people’s desire to live in peace and harmony and blaming hidden agents for causing such mayhem.
In fact, Moreh is a major route for gun running as well as drug trafficking. These are clandestine activities with high stakes. Towns such as Moreh depend on all kinds of trade with those across the border. Trading in consumer goods from third countries though not a part of Indo-Mynmaar trade agreement, is another major activity. China and Thailand having entered in a big way after completion of Yunan (China) Mandalay road and another one connecting Thailand with Mandalay as well. So had India complete Moreh-Mandalay road.
For KNA, control of Moreh is imperative for levy of tax on incoming and outgoing goods. On the other hand, ever since Namphalong super market was opened, trading in bigger bulk/volume picked up. The UNLF etc are said to have invested huge amounts in the shops there and imposition of taxes is considered a big impediment. The KNA finds it more and more difficult to exercise control because of back up of trade from other armed cadres. Similarly, presence of Indian armed forces is anathema to UNLF. Thus, the economics of extortion and clandestine trading is the root cause of violent clashes and killings in Moreh. Therefore, the above all the more calls for early solution of insurgency problem.
The increasing importance has added to the tremendous potentials of Moreh as a growth centre under the look east policy. Government is committed to building up infrastructure manifold and the town will grow into a cosmopolitan commercial hub. Chief Minister mooted the need to have a municipality which invited sharp reactions from many quarters ranging from imposition of M.L.R. Act to grabing tribal land. The factual position is that when all town in the hills were withdrawn from notified area as municipality and small towns committees, Moreh was left out.
Two courses are now open. The first is to have a municipality as it is in due course. Alternately, the Hill Areas Committee can withdraw the declaration of notified area under Municipal Act and declare it as urban area under Section 29 (IA) as provided in the second amendment Act 2006, of the Manipur (Hill area) District Council Act. Such declaration in respect of some district towns have already been done. This will for the time being enable flow of funds from Urban development Ministry (Gol). If and when administration of the town cannot be carried on without municipality at all, what will be best suited can be decided later by further amendment of the relevent laws.
http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=kshow&kid=975&Idoc_Session=7a5adb6fa5a16386858aa29287fff9d6
When Moreh hogs the limelight, it is mostly about the baser elements of human activities coming to play. Starting from the alleged abduction of more than 400 Kuki villagers by Meitei insurgent with the help of Mynmaar army in Molcham area and the denial that they had merely been dispersed from their grouping centres for cultivation to their respective villages, tensions had been building up. The lay of the land in the border areas as I am informed, is such that one has to pass through Mynmaar territory at some points while travelling in that area. Innocent acts of passing through could (and we know the law can be a donkey at such times) and detaining such people on the plea of looking for sabotours can be interpreted in many ways. Considering that a low intensity war is going on there and valley insurgents were flushed out from their strongly entranced positions in that area, anything is possible. There was a violent demonstration by Kuki Students organisation on 23rd March in Delhi with support of most other hill students organisations. They were badly battered by Delhi Police. The irony is that no one bothered to ascertain the factual position- not even the Government of India. Those who call the tune must be having the last laugh.
The epicentre thereafter shifted to Moreh. Amidst claims and counterclaims of sabotages and hired killings, all hell broke loose on 9th June 2007 when 11 persons were killed. The most unfortunate thing is that all of them were not only innocent victims but five of them hailed from Khurai. As soon as news reached Khurai, spontaneous rampage took place. In fact, some innocent passengers from Saikul bus were dragged out but no harm could be done because of intervention by some sane people and also by the state police. Tension was high at Imphal but state police took effective precautionary measures. Many organisations also took leading parts in calming the situation.
In Moreh, curfew was imposed and heavy para-military forces led by seniormost police officials were rushed and deployed. Supplies of essential commodities to Moreh from Imphal and Mynmaar were cut off causing acute scarcity. Power failures and lack of amenities added to the misery of sojouners. Cramming inside the heated bowl of Moreh town in the height of summer heat, took its toll. These manifested in frayed tempers, so much so that many personnel of the para military forces went berserk, almost causing mutiny. Meanwhile, thaw in the stand off between two communities (Kukis and Meiteis) came after days of relentless efforts made by public leaders and officers. Restoration of normalcy was marked by the usual chanting of people’s desire to live in peace and harmony and blaming hidden agents for causing such mayhem.
In fact, Moreh is a major route for gun running as well as drug trafficking. These are clandestine activities with high stakes. Towns such as Moreh depend on all kinds of trade with those across the border. Trading in consumer goods from third countries though not a part of Indo-Mynmaar trade agreement, is another major activity. China and Thailand having entered in a big way after completion of Yunan (China) Mandalay road and another one connecting Thailand with Mandalay as well. So had India complete Moreh-Mandalay road.
For KNA, control of Moreh is imperative for levy of tax on incoming and outgoing goods. On the other hand, ever since Namphalong super market was opened, trading in bigger bulk/volume picked up. The UNLF etc are said to have invested huge amounts in the shops there and imposition of taxes is considered a big impediment. The KNA finds it more and more difficult to exercise control because of back up of trade from other armed cadres. Similarly, presence of Indian armed forces is anathema to UNLF. Thus, the economics of extortion and clandestine trading is the root cause of violent clashes and killings in Moreh. Therefore, the above all the more calls for early solution of insurgency problem.
The increasing importance has added to the tremendous potentials of Moreh as a growth centre under the look east policy. Government is committed to building up infrastructure manifold and the town will grow into a cosmopolitan commercial hub. Chief Minister mooted the need to have a municipality which invited sharp reactions from many quarters ranging from imposition of M.L.R. Act to grabing tribal land. The factual position is that when all town in the hills were withdrawn from notified area as municipality and small towns committees, Moreh was left out.
Two courses are now open. The first is to have a municipality as it is in due course. Alternately, the Hill Areas Committee can withdraw the declaration of notified area under Municipal Act and declare it as urban area under Section 29 (IA) as provided in the second amendment Act 2006, of the Manipur (Hill area) District Council Act. Such declaration in respect of some district towns have already been done. This will for the time being enable flow of funds from Urban development Ministry (Gol). If and when administration of the town cannot be carried on without municipality at all, what will be best suited can be decided later by further amendment of the relevent laws.
http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=kshow&kid=975&Idoc_Session=7a5adb6fa5a16386858aa29287fff9d6
