Aizawl, May 22, 2006: Despite the involvement of the Aizawl-based Human Rights & Law Network, the issue of the eviction of ten families from Khanpui village in north eastern Mizoram has still not been resolved even as the deadline ran out yesterday for the families to leave.
Rights activists investigating the situation in the village had absolved all blames of rights violations by the Khanpui villagers saying the village was only following a diktat drawn up by a public meeting in 2003 which declared that no one is allowed to move into the village.
When it was pointed out to the organisation today that the fact that the villagers had drawn up a law prohibiting moving into the village was itself an act of right violations, the organisation’s spokeswoman and founder, Vanramchhuangi said the ten families involved were also on the wrong saide since they had broken the village rules and would not try to integrate with the villagers.
“We tried to bring about a compromise between the two parties. We cajoled and informed the new comers that they needed to try to integrate with the villagers and that they should follow traditions and rules of the village. At the same time, we also informed the villagers that prohibiting permanent entry into their village was against the Indian Constitution and that they were violating rights. The villagers are to call a public meeting today to resolve the issue,” she said.
Meanwhile, the state’s only evening paper today reported that Khanpui village YMA president was of the contention that they were not evicting any body, but only enforcing the village law since these Hmar families had not been accepted as having moved into the village.
“These families came to our village only in February without seeking any permission. We have not accepted that they are a part of the village. Therefore, it is our contention that we are not evicting them, but only enforcing the village law of prohibiting anyone from permanent entry into the village,” the YMA president Lalremsanga was quoted by The Evening Post.
The ten Hmar families have been accused of destroying valuable forest vegetation and medicinal plants in their bid to get food.
Source: Newslink
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