SIPHRO

Thingbaijam Dhamen

Imphal, October 23, 2006: A total of 685 people of 155 families of different villages of Tipaimukh sub-division of Churchandpur district who fled and took asylum at Sakawrdai refugee camp in Mizoram have so far returned to their respective villages. The state government has also provided rehabilitation to them, according to an official source.

These villagers had left their home over harassment and atrocity allegedly conducted by cadres of some underground groups operating actively in the area in the early part of this year.

They have since returned to their respective villages after the state government assured their safety and rehabilitation package and restoration of civil administration in the sub-division, the source said.

The state government, it may be recalled stepped in after the security forces flushed out all the underground activists from Tipaimukh, Thanlon, Purbung areas and took over control of the area after a major counter insurgency operation.

Payment of Rs. 5000 each to 155 families who returns from Sakawrdai refugee camp and four month`s ration (rice, dal, salt) have already been made, the source stated quoting the statement submitted by the district sub-divisional officer of the Tipaimukh, Parbung.

However, benefits of the monetary compensations and ration to five families who arrived from the same camp is yet to be made by the district authority, the source added.

The source also said that of the 685 people returns from the Mizoram refugee camp, 459 are adults, 226 are minors. They belong to the village Lungthulien, Tuilbung, Parbung, Phulpi, Maulien, Damdiei, Taithu and Rovakot.

Giving further details, the source said that 375 villagers (121 minors and 254 adults) of 79 families are from Lungthulien village.

At Tuilbung village, the total number of refugee who have returned home was reported as 170 people (107 adults and 63 minors) belonging to 37 families.

At Parbung village, 55 people of 18 families have come back and re-settle at the village. Of the total, 14 are minors and 41 adults.

Only 15 villagers, including five minors and 10 adults of three families returned back to Phulpi village. At Maulien also only 24 people of 5 families have come back so far. Among them nine are minors and remaining 15 are adults.

Twenty-two members of four families of Damdiei village have come back and re-settled, the source said adding, out of them nine are minors while 13 are adults.

At Rovakot village so far 21 members of eight families including five minors have returned and re-settled. Likewise, one family of Taithu village having three members are back, the official source disclosed.

The source further disclosed that all the said people returned during the month of July this year.

It is worth mentioning that many people of the villages in the interior areas of Tipaimukh sub-division left their villages over atrocities and harassment allegedly by the underground activists who took control of the area since their ouster from different places in the Chandel district by the government forces some five years back.

Mention may also be made that Hmar National Army had even threaten to serve quit notice to the Meiteis settled in the Churchnadpur district demanding the government to provide rehabilitation packages for those villagers who have returned from exile. They even set deadline which had already expires.

Source: The Imphal Free Press