The sensitivity of the Assam Rifles to peoples’ woes due to bad road connectivity on either side of the Barak River in Manipur affecting scores of villages in the area led to an urge to undertake the repair work of the 22-km-stretch of the Tamei-Dikuiram road in Tamenglong district.
The project that was launched by 44 Assam Rifles on October 12 last year was completed on January 4. But even before the formal inauguration of the vital link road on February 9, the connectivity project linked the hearts of the local people, especially youth and women who toiled along with the paramilitary personnel in completing the repair work in a record 85 days despite all odds.
Facing years of neglect by the local administration, this road is vital link for the far flung and inaccessible areas of Tamei subdivision of Tamenglong district, Manipur. It not only provides connectivity to Dikhuiram village but also to Langparam, Taiparam, Katang, Magulong, Inem and several other villages. The importance of the link cannot be overstated as its utility does not end just in Manipur but extends to the neighbouring State of Nagaland too. The road further connects to the town of Tenning in Peren district of Nagaland and beyond to the important city of Dimapur in the region via district headquarter Peren and Jaluki. This road effectively provides an alternate connectivity to the Tamenglong-Dimapur link, opening the doors of opportunities in terms of better market access, availing educational facilities as well as various governmental schemes.
The road was inaugurated and dedicated to the locals of the area on February 9, this year by IGAR (EAST) as a huge crowd from nearby villages cheered on. In order to recognise the true spirit of “bhagidari” displayed by the locals, the Assam Rifles has rightly dubbed the connectivity link as “People’s Efforts Road”.
Dikuiram is a village located on the banks of Barak River in Tamei subdivision of Tamenglong district, Manipur. It is located approximately 22 km away from Sub Divisional Headquarters at Tamei by a single road. It is through this road alone that approximately 35 villages in the hinterland are connected to Tamei. The villagers from both sides of Barak River in Manipur and Nagaland are presently dependent on this vital road for accessibility to health and better market facilities in the nearby Tamei.
“Given the apathy of the local administration, these villages were subject to acute hardships owing to the dilapidated condition of the road and a few of the residents of the areas had to lose their beloved ones for failure in accessing better health facilities in time. The youths were unable to get quality education due to lack of road infrastructure in these villages. They were also unable to get full benefits of various government schemes as the villages are only connected with Sub-div HQ with a single Tamei- Dikuiram road,” a local said.
Despite Covid restrictions, the 44 Assam Rifles extended its support to repair the vital Tamei - Dikhuiram road by employing men and machines to free the road from potholes, water logging, bamboo bushes falling on the road and a collapsed drainage system. The late monsoon rains and the prevailing security situation in the area further created impediments in the works. But the determined hands of the Assam Rifles personnel and the locals, especially the youth from Dikhuiram village also pledged to toil in the sunlight in their bid to achieve self-reliance.
Now the fully operational Tamei-Dikhuiram road in Tamenglong district is all set to herald a new wave of development propelling economic prosperity and sustained peace due to a forged relationship of cooperation between the local population and the security forces like the Assam Rifles engaged in curbing insurgency in the region.
At the inaugural event earlier this month, the IGAR (E), with the Commandant of Tamenglong AR in attendance, sought the cooperation from the villagers so that the security forces and the civil population can work in tandem to tread on the path of development.
