Imphal, December 21: Taking its UNIDEP (Unity, Development and Peace) Campaign to Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong district, the UNIDEP Campaign Committee has distributed food items to different villages of Tousem as Christmas gifts.

The marginalised villagers were presented the gifts by the UNIDEP Campaign Committee team led by its convenor R Yangsosong on December 19.These villagers have been reeling under food scarcity following extensive bamboo flowering since some seven years back with their woes aggravated by the chronic indifference of the Government.

Under the initiative of the Campaign Committee constituted by AMUCO, AMESCO, AMAWOVA, MEPWAK, Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur, the UNIDEP Campaign launched in November last year has already covered the four valley districts and some parts of hill districts.

Adding more significance and making its purpose clear, three members of the Committee trekked all the way from Tamenglong district Hqs to the villages of Tousem sub-division before the UNIDEP Campaign was taken there so that the Committee could assess directly the woes and basic problems of the villagers.

On December 18, relief trucks were taken to Tousem with the help of volunteers of the All Jiribam United Clubs� Association (AJUCA) and volunteers of Tousem village after an arduous and challenging journey.

Even though the relief materials were transported on a truck, the vehicle could not just climb the steep slopes and its loads had to be unloaded and carried at several points of the journey.

Sometimes, the volunteers had to push or pull the vehicles along the hilly slopes.

The UNIDEP Campaign meeting held on December 19 was presided by chairman of the Tousem Khunou Village Authority HP Rangneikam.

Campaign Committee convenor and president of AMUCO R Yangsosong Koireng, AMESCO president LS Guite, leaders of AJUCA, leaders of Tousem Namchi Youth Club and Tousem Women Society and many others attended the meeting.

Addressing the gathering, Yangsosong Koireng stated that the UNIDEP Campaign was launched with a vision to bring unity, development and peace among the 36 ethnic groups of Manipur.

�After this message of unity, development and peace was taken to several parts of the State, the UNIDEP Campaign is now in Tousem, one of the most remotest sub-division of Manipur�, he said.

�What each and every Manipuri should bear in mind is that since the Manipur was merged into Indian Union, external forces have been continuously scheming to create destroy the integrity of the land�, asserted the AMUCO president.

He alleged that whatever development and development works being observed in the State is meant for a handful of privileged people.

Such modernisation programmes have been creating social divisions which is widening day by day, he noted.

�This is a challenge to all the people of Manipur and we should fight and defeat such ploy with the collective strength�, he exhorted.

Speaking on the occasion, village chairman HP Rangneikam lamented that even as Tousem was made a sub-division in 1972, many villagers have expired since then with their hopes of getting basic infrastructure and civic amenities like health care facilities, education infrastructure, water supply, electricity and transport infrastructure befitting a sub-division without ever realising it.

But what is been making the villagers more miserable is the problem of food grain scarcity which resulted from extensive bamboo flowering in the area some years back, he stated while mentioning that some food items were air-dropped at Tousem in 1997 and 2004 .

While accepting the simple logic that valley areas are more conducive for development activities as compared to hill areas, the village chairman decried the vast difference existing between Tousem and Jiribam in terms of development even though the two sub-divisions are relatively closer.

Observing that it is grave injustice to keep the people of Tousem deprived and starved when Imphal, Churachandpur, Ukhrul and Senapati are making commendable strides towards development, Rangneikam hailed the UNIDEP Campaign as a right and highly significant step.

Later, the UNIDEP Campaign Committee distributed rice, sugar, packaged food items for children and clothes for children to the villagers.

Similar relief materials were also provided to villagers to Ramkikilong, New Chingkao, Longchai, Aben, Mandeu etc as Christmas gifts.

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