Thinghangjang still in the Stone Age?
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 15, 2011:
More often than not people received facilities in many aspects of life.
In need of immediate medical attention, they can be rushed to a hospital for treatment.
But not so for the people living in Thinghangjang, a remote village in Churachandpur, where everything is left to destiny when one needs immediate medical intervention.
The conditions in Thinghangjang village pertains more like to the Stone Age.
This pathetic condition of the village was found out during a special drive by 46 AR, Manipur Police and AMADA which set out to destroy poppy plants.
Thinghangjang situated 22 km south of CCpur town is inhabitated by around 36 households of the Khongsai community and has a population of about 200.Entry to the village is through Henkot village along the Tipamukh road.
Only Shaktiman trucks can enter the village and in the rainy season, the path becomes unusable.
According to secretary of the village authority, David Khongsai, there is not a single health centre in the village.
If a person of the village fell ill, they would take him on a make shift stretcher or piggy back them to Mata village from where they could catch a passenger vehicle to the CCpur district hospital.
There were many instances when ailing persons died on the way to Mata village.
Expecting mothers get no medical facilities which are given free under the National Rural Health Mission through ASHA workers.
Although GoI implemented the Right to Education Act 2005 in the whole country, children of the village receive no education since there is no school in the village except for some lucky children whose parents could afford to send them to CCpur to get education.
It has been 50 years since the inception of the village, but electricity is still a dream to the villagers.
Many villagers have not seen even an electric bulb.
The only light in the village is a solar lamp of the village chief which he purchased from the market.
People use kerosene lit lamps and candles to provide light in the night.
When asked if local MLA Manga Vaiphei had visited the village to discuss any developmental work or implementation of any schemes, the villagers replied that their MLA has never come to the village.
Villagers cultivate cabbages, peas, maize, chillies and potatoes which they sell for their livelihood.
They said that harvesting is poor this season due to the intense cold.
They will be facing an acute shortage of rice in the coming months.
PDS rice is not distributed regularly in the village.
They lead a life earning an income of around ` 100 per day by selling vegetables in the market, but the price of essential commodities are extremely high.