Villagers suffer as Siroy impasse continues

UKHRUL, Jan 31 : Tucked away 18 kilometres from Ukhrul main town, the Shiroy village is under seige, the situation arising out of the back-drop of a stand-off between the Assam Rifles and the NSCN(IM). The crisis entered its 11th-day today as the conflict remains unresolved.

According to a source from the established Coordination Committee on Shirui Seige(CCoSS), the economy and the normal life in the affected Shirui village was paralysed owing to the situation as the village folks are unable to take to activities of farming though it is the sowing season.

It is reported that womenfolk numbering around 50 to 80 from the neighbouring villages are keeping vigil at the thoroughfare between the NSCN camp and the Assam Rifles singing and praying to harmonize the situation. Day and night they are trying to avoid the much feared booming of guns between the armed parties. The economic activities of farming and selling of the crops has been disturbed infringing the rights and daily livelihood of the innocent villagefolk, it said.

The report also stated that an indefinite sit-in protest against the seige of Shiroy village by the Assam Rifles still continues and around 2000 womenfolk in the heart of Ukhrul town at Gandhi Chowk are staging protests every day demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Assam Rifles personnel from the village since the issue has caused immense trouble.

It is also reported that on January 28 civil society bodies from Nagaland including Naga Hoho, the apex Naga frontal Naga civil organization, Naga Students Federation (NSF) in collaboration with the UNC, ANSAM, NWSUM, NPMHR (South Sector) from Manipur unit and TNL, TKS, TMNL, TSL,TWL, the leading Tangkhul social organizations in Ukhrul district visited the village, but so far there is no change in the situation.

Earlier on January 25, the CCoSS also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of Ukhrul district demanding change of the Assam Rifles but till now there is no change, said reliable sources.

The MIP team from Hebron has also come to Ukhrul to oversee the overall situation.

Wooden roofed house stands out at Kachai

The Sangai Express / Ningombam Brajamani

Imphal, January 19: In these modern days where concrete buildings and houses with tin roof tops have replaced almost all the houses with thatched roofs, one house with only wooden roof stands out at Kachai, Ukhrul district.

This unique house stands proudly in defiance to several Government initiatives aimed at bringing equitable development across the country by 2020, under which several houses with thatched roofs have been replaced with tin or zinc.

This unique house was built 40 years back at Kachai, located about 50 kms North West of Ukhrul district Hqs.

The house was built by SK Suiphung, now 80 years old and is now a sweet and proud possession of the family.

The house wholly covered with wooden roof is the sweet home to eight people comprising the family.

From ground to roof, the house stands 18 feet tall.

The house is 18 feet in breadth and 36 feet in length.

In addition to the walls made by wooden planks, the roof is also covered with only wooden planks of 3 feet and 6 inches in breadth and 12 feet in length.

Pillars, beams and lintels of the house are made of Uningthou wood.

The house has three rooms including one kitchen.

The house is fenced by 2 feet wide and 14 feet long Uningthou planks all around.

Towards the front of the house, the compound fencing has only two openings in the form of a main door and a window.

The large wooden planks making up the walls are fastened tight to the pillars using canes.

Builder and architect of the house, SK Suiphung grew up as a cultivator but he had innate carpentry and building skills.

He had constructed more than 10 houses in his life.

Talking to this reporter, the builder and designer of this unique house with only wooden roof top said that the house was built in the early part in 1967 .

Around 60 fully matured Uningthou trees were used in constructing the house and it took three months to build it, Suiphung said.

All these years since the house was built 40 years back, the roof remains free of any leakage and there is no damage to the roof because of strong winds or storms, he said.

However, some wooden planks covering the roof have been weakened due to growth of moss when wet.

To check such damages, the wooden planks are turned upside down once a year, said the octogenarian.

No suggestion was taken from any quarter in building the house.

"It was built according to my own intuition and inspiration from God", he said.

"When the construction of the house began, many villagers ridiculed the whole concept and design of the house.

But when the construction was completed and no flaw detected in the whole structure, many people came to me asking to build exactly similar houses", Suiphung recalled.

"But as I was determined that my house should be the first and final of any structure, I refused all the villagers", he added.

He further lamented that relevant Government Departments have been approached repeatedly to provide house building materials but all the appeals have fallen upon deaf ears.

"But now I don't want any such material.

I would like to die in peace under the roof of my house", Suiphung conveyed.