Security personnel guard the protest site in Imphal on Monday.
Imphal, June 21 : The sharp differences between chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and industries minister Yumkham Erabot Singh came out into the open today after the latter joined hands with residents of Naga River Colony, who were resisting a government move to acquire their land.
Ibobi Singh had initiated steps for developing the existing state-owned Hotel Imphal to a five-star hotel after evicting the residents from the 1.5-acre colony located adjacent to the hotel, but the residents opposed the move.
The chief minister today sent an official team from public works and settlement departments to the colony at 8.30am along with about 100 armed and unarmed police personnel to assess the properties in the colony, which has about 500 residents belonging to various communities. Police presence was necessitated by the fact that on July 6, the residents had thwarted an attempt by the same team to carry out the assessment.
But the officials and the police team could not act immediately because they found Erabot Singh among the residents blocking the entrance to the colony.
As the standoff continued, senior police officials from both Imphal East and Imphal West rushed to supervise the “clean up” operation and also to seek a go ahead from the chief minister.
After a nearly three-hour standoff, Ibobi Singh ordered the police to use force to evict the protesters, including the minister.
The protesters finally dispersed after a police officer warned them that force would be used unless they dispersed immediately and went home. The assessment work was also carried out for the 30 houses on official record without any disturbance.
Erabot did not react to the threat and remained calmly seated on a chair. “This (use of force) is not good,” he said.
It is common knowledge that the relationship between Erabot Singh and Ibobi Singh is not exactly cordial. But with Erabot siding with the residents of the colony, also known as Kabo Leikai, the differences have been brought out into the open.
“The government should protect the rights of land ownership of citizens and religious institutions. The existing land for Hotel Imphal is more than enough for a five-star hotel. The move is anti-people,” Erabot Singh said. The colony falls within the minister’s constituency.
The All Manipur Christian Organisation, an apex body of church bodies in Manipur, had also opposed the move as the colony has three churches and a temple.
“The government used force. We were helpless, though we want to stop eviction of the poor residents, churches and a temple for construction of a five-star hotel,” chairman of the village authority K. Golmei said.
The vice-chairman of the village authority, Z.V. Wungshim, said the move was dictatorial and would entail serious repercussions.