Aizawl, April 25, 2008: Taking a potshot at Manipur government`s “lackluster response” to the Mautam and epidemic like-situation in Tipaimukh, Singat and Thanlon area of Churachandpur district the Tipaimukh Famine Relief Committee (TFRC) and Sinlung Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Organisation (SIPHRO) on Wednesday (April 23) said, “Though Mizoram is facing Mautam to a larger extend than Manipur, the people of Mizoram are not facing much hardship as and when compared to those affected in Manipur.”
The combined team of SIPHRO and TFRC which had recently visited the disease-stricken and Mautam affected areas while putting down a charter of demands and appeals to Manipur and Mizoram governments in a joint statement demanded that Manipur declare Tipaimukh, Singat and Thanlon area as “famine hit area” while asking Mizoram to open its “door to those living near its border”.
The statement released to mediapersons during a press conference in Aizawl said, “Even as the side effects of Mautam took its toll on the children of Tipaimukh sub-division, Manipur government is yet to take up relief measure in a big way to solve the current crisis.”
The rights organization also claimed that doctors and medicines were “not to be seen” by the people for “a very long time”. “The government did send a few doctors but they were not properly equipped to deal with the situation,” they added.
Making things difficult for medical personnel to administer treatments to the affected in the interior villages are the rugged roads. Many of the villages have no proper roads for the doctors to reach the sick. “As a result of poor transport connectivity, in Leisen village alone more than 70 children with Mautam related disease are still waiting for treatment,” the release said.
The organizations also accused Manipur government of not distributing funds that the Centre had allocated to it for providing Mautam relief to the victims. “The people are not even aware of the fund that the Centre had given to the State government to take care of their needs,” the statement said.
The Okram Ibobi-led government has come under severe criticism form various quarters since last year after several death reports in Tipaimukh area were “rubbished as natural deaths and not due to an epidemic”.
SIPHRO and TFRC further stated that Manipur government instead of coming to the aid of the hapless was distributing rice to the affected under NREGS scheme at an exorbitant rate of Rs 21 per kg. “And those rice are of BPL, APL and AAY quality,” the statement added.
Urging Manipur government to provide immediate compensation package to the kin of those dead the rights groups said, “Compensation should be given to the kin of those children who died due to outbreak of Mautam disease.”
“In view of all these”, SIPHRO and TFRC said, “Manipur government must make immediate arrangement for public distribution systems, grain banks or godowns besides building hospitals, health centres with doctors permanently posted to their place of duties.”
Source: Imphal Free Press