Imphal: A mass social movement is needed to address the present artificial socio-political issue created by vested interests. It is the moral responsibility and bounden duty of all those who desire a peaceful and prosperous society, irrespective of their caste, creed, or ethnic affiliation, said the Naga Youth Forum, Manipur, (NYFM), a civil society organisation, here on Tuesday.Â
Manipur has been in the national news lately for the massive loss of forest cover. According to India’s Forest Report 2021, Manipur recorded a loss in forest cover of 249 sq. km in 2021 compared to forest cover in 2019. In 2019, forest cover loss was 499 sq. km as compared to the previous assessment in 2017. From 2017 to 2019, Manipur lost a total forest cover of 758 sq. km. This is in contrast with the increase of 2,261 square kilometers in the total forest and tree cover for the whole country during 2019–21. Deforestation to facilitate poppy cultivation has been mainly responsible for most of the forest cover loss during this period, Amu Pamei, president of the Forum, said.
Noting further that drug trafficking has also been on the rise, as evidenced by the massive seizure of drugs in the state, the Youth Forum said drugs originating from neighboring countries and trafficked through the state have also been seized in other parts of the country.
Despite the fact that the state government has been undertaking a massive campaign against drugs under the banner of the ‘War on Drugs’ since November 2018, a large reserve and protected forest in Manipur are found in poppy cultivation. Moreover, many illegal encroachers were also found within these forest areas. This led to the investigation into the existence of many illegal settlements within forest areas, it added.
Taking instances, the Naga Youth Forum said K. Songjang Village, evicted recently from Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest, is a new settlement established in 2021. As per the statement of the Forest Department, the establishment of a new village inside a protected village violates Section 30 (C) of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, Rule No. 73 (4), 73(5) of Manipur Forest Rules 2021, Section 2(ii) of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and a Supreme Court Order dated December 12, 1996, passed in WP (C) No.202 of 1995 and is treated as encroachment in the Protected Forest.
Besides the long-term impact of climatic change, another immediate big impact of deforestation is that Manipur is facing floods during the rainy season and drought and a shortage of drinking water during the winter. The massive amounts of herbicides and fertilizers used for poppy cultivation have become a major cause of health hazards, it contended.
Many new villages, both recognised and unrecognised, have been detected. There have been instances where more than 10 villages in different districts under a single village chief are recognised. The villages were also found to be named after their forefathers and not by location. It is also alarming that many villages with fictitious populations, Aadhar cards, and voter IDs have also been found, the NYF noted.
The process of timely streamlining has so far been blocked by the elected representatives for their selfish ends. Sadar Hills (present-day Kangpokpi) had 179 villages in 1969, which have grown into massive 534 villages in 2021, an impossible growth rate of 198%. This can be compared to the growth of villages in Senapati District, with 126 villages in 1969 and 140 in 2021, a growth of 11%. Similarly, Churachandpur had 216 villages in 1969 and 544 villages in 2021, a growth of 150%. Tengnoupal and Chandel had 232 in 1969, and it has increased to 446 in 2021, a growth of 100%. Tamenglong and Noney recorded a growth of 29%. Ukhrul and Kamjong districts have recorded a negative growth of 6% in the number of villages.
It said an attempt to control land and resources has been translated into a political movement demanding a separate political status. This has resulted in socio-political issues in Manipur. This is evidenced by the recent agitation launched by some sections of the population in support of the illegal encroachment in the reserve and protected forests.
The Forum also asked the state government to: (i) identify and delete the fictitious villages and delete the bogus population; (ii) identify and delete the bogus Aadhar cards and voter identity cards; (iii) derecognize chieftainships heading multiple villages; and (iv) enact appropriate laws for new village recognition.
The NYFM further appealed to all the right-thinking citizens of the state to extend their support for this mass social movement for peace and harmony in Manipur.
