Displaced New Lambulane Residents Expresses Concerns Over Illegal Occupation of Their Homes in Imphal

Displaced people of New Lambulane in Imphal East district have expressed concern over the illegal occupation of their houses in Imphal by the Arambai Tenggol and United Nations Liberation Front.

A representative of the displaced persons issued a press release on Thursday, stating that the illegal occupation of the houses is happening right under the nose of the Imphal East district administration and Central Security Forces the CRPF, the SSB, the RAF and the Assam Rifles.

The people of New Lambulane, especially those who were forcibly evacuated by the Central and State Security Forces on the midnight of Sept 1, 2023 have come to learn that armed Meitei militias led by the Arambai Tenggol and UNLF have started taking over the empty houses in New Lambulane, and settled it illegally with their own people, it added.

“The Arambai and the UNLF who had opened their offices there in New Lambulane have marked the houses in the locality with 'U' or 'AT' as a sign of their illegal occupation.” stated the release.

The representative of the displaced people stated that when the Kuki-Zo families were forcibly evacuated on September 1 last year, they were assured that it was for their physical safety and that the houses and property would be well protected by security forces who will be on duty 24X7.

On top of that, the Supreme Court of India had ordered the Manipur State Government on Sept 25, 2023 to protect the property of people displaced by the violence which started on May 3, it added.

The release stated that the displaced families are dumbfounded and shocked at the indifference and unwillingness of Central Security Forces and the State Government to perform their statutory duty, nor uphold the directive of the Supreme Court of India.

Instead of protecting any of the property, all the household items were allowed to be stolen in broad daylight, and now the houses are being illegally settled in by outsiders.

The displaced people also urgently appealed to both the government of India and government of Manipur to perform their duty under the Constitution.

The displaced people also prayed to the Supreme Court of India to take cognizance of the ‘blatant disregard of its directives.’