TNAL protests
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 18 2013 : The Tang-khul Naga Aze Longphang (Southern Tangkhul Naga Union) strongly denounced the Cabinet decision which prohibited entry of both Sailent and Saijang villagers to the 'disputed site' .

An emergency general bo-dy meeting of TNAL held yesterday at Tangkhul Avenue Community Hall, Imphal questioned the basis of the Govt on its intervention in a land dispute of Sailent village.

A statement issued by TNAL general secretary Roc-kson Shimray today said that the abrupt denial of legal rights and orders of competent authority by the Cabinet decision was most unbecoming and disgusting while adding that such incidents are the vivid manifestation of communal policy of the pre-sent Govt.Contending that there is no way the Saijang villagers could claim an inch of the foothill belonging to Sailent village, the TNAL also denied any 'disputed land' as such in the village since the legal documents possessed by the Sailent village authenticated their rightful ownership of the village and its foothills.

It further said that problems between the two villages always started when Saijang villagers went to the hills and collect huge quantity of firewoods.

While condemning the May 3 incident where 36 houses were reduced to ashes, the TNAL meeting termed the incident as 'serious' and 'dangerous' which has the potential to ignite the spark of flare-up between the two villages.

The TNAL also demanded immediate compensation to the displaced families and they should be allowed to re-build their houses at the same place while also demanding penalty against the Saijang villagers involved in the act at the earliest.

It further warned all concerned whoever claims or resorts to encroachment of single inch of the Sailent foothills of facing same action.

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