Imphal, March 11, 2010: The jungle track of H Phaikoh village on the Indo-Myanmar border which is used by smugglers.

IMPHAL, Mar 11: With smugglers and other illegal traders making their route through H Phaikoh village, close to Indo-Myanmar border under Chassad block of Ukhrul district, the village is badly in need of a police outpost.

By virtue of its location along the international border, smugglers and other illegal traders often go pass Phaikoh village.

Chief of the village Nga-mkhokhai Touthang said that even heroin No 4 is smuggled through the village.

Moreover, insurgent cadres use the village as a route for trans-border movement.Saying that the villagers have no capacity to check such movement, the village chief expressed keen desire to open a police outpost at the village.

The Phaikoh village settlers belonging to Kuki tribe were drove out from Myanmar by the military junta in 1968 with the allegation that they are not true Myanmarese descendents.

At that time, these people had alrea-dy been living at Zedi, Mya- nmar for more than 20 years.

Coming from Zedi, they made their settlement at H Phaikoh between border pillar numbers 102 and 103.Initially, the new settlement had 80 houses built over a captivating glen on the first descent from the mountain range.

However, as some families moved back to Myan- mar, the hamlet built up on a charming landscape has now just 55 houses and total population of around 400. Ngamkhokhai Touthang said they originally settled beside a Meitei village near Nambisha before making an exodus to Zedi, Myanmar in search of better livelihoods.

But the military junta turned them out saying that they were not true blood of Myanmar, he added.

After making their settlement at Phaikoh in 1968, these people started paying housing tax to the Government of Manipur from 1971. Even as the villagers sta-rted paying tax since 1971, there is no sign of any Government scheme in the vil- lage.

There is no educatio-nal institution, health centre or transport infrastructure worth its name.

Nevertheless, NREGS job cards have been issued to each household.

With no Government sponsored schemes or pro-jects visible in the village, it seems the military junta of Myanmar is more intimate to the minds of the villagers than Govt of Manipur.

Style of dressing and nature of works are far from being modern.

Cases of anti-social or criminal activities are settled with the help of Myanmar police station at Ongcha, located about 2 kms across the international boundary, the village chief said.

It is not only at times of criminal or unwanted incidents, the villagers are still taking assistance from Myanmar police for survival and other economic matters.

Teak trees grown in Myanmarese territory are cut down by the Phaikoh villagers and brought to the Indian side.

Sometimes Myanmar police would come up to Phaikoh village during their patrolling exercise.

He said that border pillar number 112 erected at Tuining ravine would be washed out by water during rainy season.

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