Cong questions Govt on border issue

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL , Oct 28 : Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) general secretary Hareshwar Goshwami has alleged that the BJP led Government at the Centre and the State is keeping silent and doing nothing regarding the encroachment by Myanmar in Moreh.
Speaking to the media at a press conference held at Congress Bhawan, Hareshwar Goshwami said the BJP Government is indifferent to the loss of geographical area of Manipur and added that despite different political parties and CSOs of the State visiting the contentious sites on Indo-Myanmar border, the Government has been doing nothing on the matter.
He informed that the geographical area of the State has reduced to 22,327 square kilometers in 1992 from 22,357 square kilometers in 1978. Manipur shares a 395 kms long border with Myanmar.
The border areas where there are contentions between India and Myanmar are at Border Pillar number 64 and 68 in Tuivai-Molcham area; Border Pillar 75 to 79 in Moreh-Tamu area and Border Pillar 88 to 95 in Choro-khunou area, he added.
Erection of subsidiary pillars in the contentious areas on the ground that there is no boundary issue is going to make the State lose a huge chunk of its geographical area, he added.
The boundary issue had crept up after Burmese side started erecting boundary pillars inside Manipuri boundary following the boundary agreement that was signed between the Governments of India and Myanmar in 1967 wherein it was agreed that delimitations and demarcation will be done in the border areas, Hareshwar Goshwami added.
 Hareshwar Goshwami added that Dr RK Ranjan who is currently the MoS External Affairs had also confirmed that the State had lost its geographical area to Burmese encroachers in an issue of his journal called 'Regional Integration' in 1982. The issue was also raised to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2013 by a team led by former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam but ever since the BJP led Government came to power, the issue has been shelved, he alleged.
The Central Government had even directed the public and the State Government to co-operate in erecting the subsidiary pillars which clearly shows the indifferent nature of the BJP Government towards the territorial loss of the State, he alleged.