: The Nagas in Manipur have intensified the campaign against the construction of the Mapithel dam at Litan which is the trijunction of Imphal East, Senapati and Ukhrul districts.
On Thursday, several Naga organisations had taken out a demonstration from Chadong village in Ukhrul district. They had plans to cover some villages. However, the police prevented them from taking out the demonstration since there are prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC. Later, angry Nagas torched an effigy of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
Gaidon Kamei, president of the United Naga Council, said while welcoming the developmental works, the Nagas cannot compromise the ‘traditional and customary rights’. He also condemned the imposition of prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC to prevent people from taking out their democratic marches against the ‘oppressive policies and programmes of the government’.
The Thoubal river meanders to the trijunction of the three districts. The Mapithel dam is being constructed at Litan.
Weapon Zimik, president of the Tangkhul Naga Long, demanded the release of water from the dam. The plight of people in the upstream and downstream of the dam should be properly assessed, he told reporters. The Tangkhuls fear that the dam water will submerge vast areas of the fertile land leaving people at the point of starvation. Some militants have been opposing the Thoubal Multi-purpose project, which envisages generation of power, irrigation of vast agricultural lands and provision of potable water.
Tangkhuls fear that dam water will submerge vast areas of fertile land
