Imphal, February 07 2009: Hundreds of farmers of Chingarel and its surrounding villages in Imphal east district carried out a protest rally on Saturday opposing the move of the Manipur government to acquire land in the village for setting up an industrial growth centre there.

The authority of the Manipur government have decided to acquire about 500 acre of land in Chingarel due to which hundreds of farmers will lose their hereditary property (cultivating fields) and will be rendered jobless and landless.

The rally, kicked from Khurai Popular High School ground at around 12.30 pm proceeded toward the Imphal east DC office on the Imphal-Ukhrul section of the NH-150, was however blocked by the police on the way at Lamlong Bazar before taking the route to the office by the police and forced to divert on the Imphal-Pangei road and returned to the original place.

Around 1000 farmers carrying various slogans like, "We protest take over of cultivable lands, no food no development, food cannot be synthesis by scientists, we will sacrifices out life for out land, food the basis of life, etc," took part in the rally.

The farmers hailing from Chingarel, Sawombung, Waiton, Tejpur, Mani Yaishkul and Khurai urged that the lands that they have been cultivating from generation should not be taken away from them in the name of development.

"Taking over of our cultivable lands mean snatching way of our living and earning ways.

Government should review its decision," Sanasam Chandrakumar, secretary of the JAC (Joint Action Committee) against the construction of Industrial Growth Centre said.

The farmers are demanding review to the government decision to establish industrial growth centre at Chingaren, has been protesting since the Cabinet of the Secular Progressive Front government took a decision to shift the site of the industrial growth centre to the area by acquiring 500 acres of land which around 300 acres are paddy fields.

Earlier, government was planned to set up the centre at Napet Palli, a place on the side of the Imphal-Ukhrul road located at a distance of some 20 kilometer from Imphal but a Cabinet meeting in December last year approved the shifting of the site to the Chingarel area.

The acceptance to the proposal of constructing an industrial growth centre by the Secular Progressive Front (SPF) Government led by CM O Ibobi Singh as a progressive step of development may give birth to another major agitation including general strike in the state, protesters cried.

"The government move to take over the vast areas of Chingarel paddy field will amount to snatching of living ways of thousands of people living by cultivation," a farmer said pressing the state government to review its decision.

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