Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 26 2009:
A public meeting held at Chingmei Keina Bazar in connection with the burning down of Kaibul Lamjao National Park on February 22 last has
condemned the arson incident as well as summoning of 11 villagers of two villages by the authority of the forest office there.
The public
meeting was attended by members of the meira paibis bodies of the Keibul Chingmei, members of the NGOs.
The meeting mainly discussed on the
summoning of 11 villagers of the area by the officials of the the forest beat offices selectively for taking statement.
Haobijam Lukhoi, who
was among the 11 persons summoned, said that he has a fish farm nearby the park.
So he used to go nearby the park area frequently.
He knows
the important of the more than 70 year old national park which is the only natural habitant of the rare Sangai deer.
Apart from this, the
fire was not caught from the Keibul side.
He feels emotion when forest officials summoned him but he will go to the office in compliance of
the summoned order, Lukhoi said.
The meeting also drafted various resolutions which included blaming of the officials of the forest office
guarding the national park for not taking up appropriate measures to control the burning alleging that neglected attitudes of the officials.
It also resolved to urge the state government to increase the number of staffs of forest office at the park.
They also resolved to extend
their maximum cooperation to the authority in the protection of the national park and help in finding out the guilty persons involved in the
burning of the park.