Imphal, Jan. 23: The Jiribam jail does not have a single prisoner and the court building is under lock and key for the past several years. It would appear that Manipur?s outback is the most peaceful place on earth.
The truth is shocking: the entire Jiribam subdivision, bordering Assam?s Cachar district, has been left to fend for itself as armed militants have a free run in the wild west of the state.
The court of magistrates, civil judge (junior) division, established in 1996, was abandoned a couple of years back. In the absence of a functioning court, the Jiribam sub-jail is naturally without prisoners.
The jail has turned into a jungle, with creepers and thick clumps of bushes running riot in its precincts.
For the 25,000-odd people of Jiribam, they have good reason to be ?outraged? at the government?s apathy.
On paper, Jiribam is very near Imphal, under Imphal East district. But geographically it is the furthest from the state capital (222 km). With militants of all hues controlling the tortuous National Highway 53 that connects Jiribam with Imphal, people are forced to travel to their state capital via Silchar ? by the Silchar-Imphal flight, in fact, which can be very expensive.
Even policemen are avoiding the national highway. They, too, have valid reasons. ?Militants, who often stop buses to frisk the travellers, will beat us up if any member of the state police force is found inside. That is why we do not travel on this route,? says a rifleman of the Manipur Rifles. ?I too use the Silchar-Imphal flight,? says the officer-in-charge of the police station.
What has infuriated the people of Jiribam most is that the handful of officials present there have allegedly siphoned off development funds. In November, a joint action committee, comprising student and women?s organisations and local clubs, had called a blockade of the highway to protest against the alleged misappropriation of a sum of Rs 50 lakh sanctioned during President?s rule as a development package.
Jiribam and its surrounding areas boast of the largest bamboo belt in the southeast Asian region. A multi-crore bamboo chipping plant ? the Manipur Pulp and Allied Products Ltd ? was set up, but is now defunct.