National Sports University land row: JAC calls for indefinite bandh in Manipur

The Joint Action Committee or JAC in Manipur has declared an indefinite bandh in the state from January 31 midnight along the national and state highways, following the stand-off between security forces and villagers of Konsakhul with regard to land ownership dispute at National Sports University site on Friday.

The JAC has also called for a ban on all national projects in the Naga inhabited areas.

It may be mentioned that the villagers today blocked the inter-village roads, condemning the police crackdown at the NSU site.

Earlier on Friday, members of the JAC staged protest demanding the government to resolve the disputed site of NSU, after which police fired tear gas, and shot blank live bullets to disperse the crowd. Two villagers also sustained injuries during the confrontation.

Advisor of Konsakhul Area Joint Action Committee, Adonpou Abonmai said that the committee is not against other villages surrounding the university but demands the state government to acknowledge the true ownership of the land and settle the land dispute.

He further added that the villagers have submitted memorandums to the Centre and state government, demanding that the construction of National Sports University should be halted until the controversy over the land is solved. He alleged that the university has been constructed without the Konsakhul village people’s approval.

Meanwhile, National Sports University Haraothel Protection Committee (NSUHPC) stated that the incident clearly indicated that villagers of Konsakhul are against the construction of NSU at Haraothel.