Manipur: Modi village in Manipur’s Chandel district is home to 61 homes and around 260 people, all of whom are members of the Anal Naga tribe.
Given that it is the name of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who has led the BJP administration as the Center since May 2014, Modi may be the most well-known name in the nation right now. Additionally, as the general elections of 2024 approach, the shout “Modi, Modi, Modi” is likely to become increasingly common.
Therefore, the residents of the area around Chandel’s district headquarters would be unaware that a village by the name of Modi exists.
Absolutely! The hamlet of Modi is located around 6 km from the Chandel district headquarters and 70 km southeast of Imphal.It was dubbed “Modi Village” at “Buphelon” in honor of Pashel Modi of Anal Khullel (Achengkhu), who founded it on December 20, 1823, with the help of his wife, Nula Pethem, and a few elders. But because of a variety of historical factors, they moved about until they eventually made their home at what is now Modi Village in 1961.
here are around 260 people living in 61 homes in Modi village, which is home to the Anal Naga tribe. A black-topped road built by BRTF connects the community to the district office.
Nevertheless, despite its moniker, Modi village is just like any other, having its ups and downs and being impacted by global events.
The head of Modi village, Kl. John Mota, stated that the present crisis has had a wide range of effects on the community, since a significant portion of the inhabitants are farmers and rely on farming as their primary source of income.
The cost of necessities has increased since the crisis, and because of the Chandel district headquarters’ location, they are no longer as readily available as they were. Thus, it has gotten harder lately for a community like Modi, where the majority of the residents are farmers, according to John Mota.
Furthermore, he said that cultivation—mostly of jhum—has grown more challenging as a result of climate change. Cultivating was simpler ten to fifteen years ago when the temperature was lower than it is now.
The village leader said, “But again, we cannot give up jhum cultivation as it is our main source of income.”
The Chakpi River and even streams, which are vital to the hamlet and the Chandel area, are drying away. We may have to purchase water at some point, he bemoaned.
Even though the community was given a project under the Jal Jeevan Mission: Har Ghar Jal, the water tank was built a few kilometers from the village at the location of a theological institution.
Thus, the chief stated, it is now more difficult for the hamlet to obtain drinking water because it is possible to draw water from that tank.
According to John Mota, on October 8, 2021, Mayanglambam Rajkumar, DC, Chandel opened the “Modi Model Village under SAGY” at the behest of Lorho S Pfoze, a sitting member of the Lok Sabha.
But the chief regretted that, other from the inauguration, no more projects or labor had been undertaken in the community under the Model community.
Additionally, he disclosed that several government department projects and programs had been published under the village’s name, but none had been implemented as of yet.
The construction of an office building with three rooms and a toilet, a guest house with a conference hall that can accommodate thirty to fifty rooms, a kitchen with ten small huts, an Eco-Garden with open seating, compound wall fencing with a gate, street lighting, one tube well with a solar power system, a Ch. Quarter, and a garage are some of the proposals for the identified village under SAGY 20–21 that will be undertaken in Modi Village. These projects will come at a cost of approximately Rs. 4.34 crore.
However, none of these have seen the start of development.
According to the village leader, no work has started on any of these, and we have no idea why.
John Mota, the village leader, said that there isn’t really any advantage to the name Modi in the current situation, given that it also happens to be the name of the Indian prime minister.
The village of Modi was founded 200 years ago, and we just commemorated the community’s 100 years of Christianity. Thus, he continued, it makes no difference.
Nonetheless, John Mota stated that given the state’s current situation and the center’s silence, it would be extremely beneficial if PM Modi addressed the issue and put an end to it.
The Modi village leader said, “It would definitely help control the crisis if PM Modi would visit our state.”
John Mota urged for peace in the state and urged the warring groups to get down and resolve their differences, all the while expressing worries about the state’s never-ending problem and emphasizing how it has touched everyone, regardless of community.