Manipur: Tribal organization expresses concern over eviction drive in Imphal

Imphal: All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM) has expressed concern over the incident where four persons were seriously injured during an eviction drive in New Checkon Tribal Colony on Monday.

The High Tribal Students’ Organization (TSTO) accused the government of forcibly trying to build new quarters on the site and strongly condemned the unprovoked police action, which has caused panic among the residents.
The ATSM said that the residents of the tribal colony have always told the government that they are not against the idea of development and they welcomed the government’s plan to build a new multi-storeyed building to house the tribal employees of the state government. Do .

At the same time, however, residents have stated that alternative arrangements must be made to accommodate the 187 allottees before new construction can begin, ATSUM said in a statement.
It further states that when SDO Porompat issued a show cause notice for eviction on 24 December 2020, the residents of the colony filed a PIL in the High Court through Writ Appeal No. 11 of 1993 and as a result The High Court issued an interim order. Order WP (C) No. 345 of 2021, dated October 29, 2021, stating that the applicants (locals) will not be disturbed unless alternative arrangements are made by the government.

According to the ATSM, the court’s interim order stated that “if any alternative arrangement is made by the state, the petitioners will vacate it immediately. However, to date the state government has done so.” No alternative arrangements have been made for the residents to evacuate the colony, ”he added.The student body alleged that instead the government was trying to bulldoze the residents to evacuate the colony in violation of the High Court’s interim order. He said the government’s illegal intentions today were reflected in the fact that it had cut off drinking water supply pipelines, cut off electricity connections and fired tear gas and rubber bullets inside the quarters. Residents have been seriously injured.