Mass Rally Ends Peacefully in Tamenglong; Five-Day Ultimatum Served

Ukhrul, July 18: A peaceful mass public rally was held at Tamenglong district headquarters on Friday. The rally, organised by representatives of the Civil Society Organizations, Tamenglong, kicked off from the Lower Ground and culminated at Haipou Jadonang Park. 

People from all walks of life across Tamenglong, Tousem, and Tamei subdivisions braved the rain and participated in the rally expressing their collective frustration and disappointment over the continued failure of the government to address critical developmental, healthcare, infrastructure, and security concerns, many of which have remained unresolved for years. 

Protesters raised slogans including “No Ration No Justice, No Grain No Peace,  NFSA Backlog Immediate Release, MGNREGA/MC Pending Bills Immediate Release, GNM Building Construction Urgent Complete, German/Tiger Road Construction Stop Stop, among others.

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Following the rally, the Civil Society Organizations, Tamenglong (ZNCM, RNCM-TL,LNCM-TZ, INU-TZ, CSAT, JTWA, & VACC – Tousem, Tamei, & Tamenglong) submitted a memorandum to the Manipur Governor through the Deputy Commissioner of Tamenglong highlighting the main demands. 

In the joint memorandum, the Organizations reiterated their demands and warned of intensifying democratic agitation if action is not taken immediately. 

“Despite our earlier memorandum to the Governor of Manipur and DC Tamenglong, no tangible progress or official response has been received to date. This memorandum reaffirms our key demands and serves as a formal warning of intensifying democratic agitation if action is not taken immediately,” the memorandum read. 

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The key issues highlighted in the joint memorandum included:

1. Two-month NFSA ration backlog: Ration quota for April and May 2025 remain undelivered across Tamenglong, Tousem, and Tamei Blocks. Tamei Block is additionally awaiting its August 2025 quota despite the disbursement confirmation from the depot in-charge of the Food Corporation of India through CAF & PD office.

2. Systemic delays in MGNREGA material component (MC) bills: The persistent non-payment of Material Component (MC) bills under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has severely disrupted rural work progress, leaving critical infrastructure projects incomplete and depriving communities of livelihood opportunities.   

3. Severe staff shortage at Tamenglong District Hospital: Ongoing shortage of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff continues to paralyse medical services.

4. Incomplete construction of GNM institute: Years of delay in the General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) institute project has deprived local youth of opportunities in health education and employment.

5. Tousem CHC without doctors for the last six months: The total absence of medical personnel for over six months has left thousands without access to basic healthcare.

 6. Oinamlong facing critical health crisis: The sub-health centre at Oinamlong is in a state of collapse, lacking staff, equipment, and supplies. Immediate medical intervention is necessary.

7. Upgrade of Cheangdai PHSC to PHC: The health centre requires urgent infrastructure and staffing upgrades to serve the population effectively.

8. Establishment of proposed PHC at Azuram village: Despite long standing demand, the people of Azuram continue to live without any formal healthcare facility.

9. Separate electricity feeders for District Hospital: The hospital suffers regular outages, severely affecting emergency and inpatient services.

10. Inordinate delay in completion of 132/33kV power substation (NERPSIP, PGCIL): The prolonged delay in commissioning this substation affects the entire district’s power stability and development prospects.

11. Illegal construction of ‘German/Tiger Road’ and encroachment by Kuki groups: The CSOs condemn the unauthorised road construction and settlements being carried out within ancestral lands of the Liangmai, Zeme, Inpui, and Rongmei  communities. The CSOs claimed that this is a direct violation of indigenous land rights and must be stopped.

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Further, the CSOs mentioned that the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) of Tamenglong conducted an inquiry into the transportation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) rice disbursement in April, 2025, based on the statements from the truck drivers involved in the disbursement process. 

As per their investigation, the team uncovered several discrepancies including mismatch in rice bag quantities and forgery in documentation. 

There are inconsistencies between the number of rice bags recorded in the official gate passes and the actual quantity loaded onto the trucks, the CSOs stated. They also stated that the signatures of truck drivers on the gate pass (for stocks going out of depot/godown) receipt documents were verified and found not to belong to the actual truck drivers, raising serious concerns about fraudulent practices in the supply chain.

“These findings indicate potential malpractice in the distribution of NFSA rice, which could lead to diversion of essential supplies meant for beneficiaries. The CSOs demand an immediate and transparent investigation by the concerned authorities to hold accountable those responsible for these irregularities,” the CSOs stated.

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The CSOs urged the Governor to take immediate steps in coordination with the concerned departments to address the above grievances and served a five-day ultimatum demanding formal public response acknowledging the memorandum, written updates and action timelines from concerned departments and immediate redressal of critical health and ration-related issues. 

“Failure to act within this time frame will result in escalation of public agitation, including indefinite protests, road blockage, and further mass mobilisations. The responsibility for any public unrest shall lie squarely with the authorities who continue to ignore the voice of the people,” the CSO warned. 

The people of Tamenglong district will not tolerate prolonged silence or bureaucratic inaction any longer, the CSO added. 

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