Modi is, perhaps, the most popular name in the country today considering that it is the name of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who’s been at the helm of the BJP government as the Centre since May 2014. And with the general elections 2024 drawing closer by the day, one would probably hear more of the chant, ‘Modi, Modi, Modi’.
So, to the people living outside the district headquarters of Chandel, little would they know that there exists a village by the name of Modi.
Yes! About 70 kms southeast of Imphal and about 6 kms from Chandel district headquarters is a village called Modi.
Established on December 20, 1823, by Pashel Modi of Anal Khullel (Achengkhu) along with his wife, Nula Pethem, and some elders, it was named after Pashel Modi as ‘Modi Village’ at ‘Buphelon’. However, due to various conditions of the time, they migrated from place to place until they finally settled at the present Modi Village in 1961.
Inhabited by the Anal Naga tribe, Modi village shelters 61 households with a population of about 260. The village is connected by black-topped road constructed by BRTF to the district headquarters.
However, despite the name, Modi village is like any other – with its ups and downs – and affected by the happenings of the world.
With a large number of the villagers being farmers and their main source of income being cultivation, Kl John Mota, chief of Modi village, said that the current crisis has also affected the village in many ways.
“After the crisis, and due to the geographical location of the Chandel district headquarters, the price of essential commodities has gone up and is not available as it was before the crisis. So, for a village like Modi, who are mainly cultivators, it has become more difficult now,” John Mota said.
Moreover, due to climate change, cultivation, which is mainly jhum cultivation, has become more difficult too, he said. 10-15 years ago, it was not as hot as it is now, and cultivation was easier then.
But again, we cannot give up jhum cultivation as it is our main source of income, the village chief said.
“Even streams and the Chakpi River, which is the lifeline of Chandel district and the village, are drying up. A time will come when we have to, maybe, buy water,” he lamented.
Though the village was allotted with a scheme under Jal Jeevan Mission: Har Ghar Jal, the water tank was constructed at the site of a theological college which is a few kilometres away from the village.
So, getting water from that tank is feasible and that has made it more difficult to get drinking water in the village, the chief said.
John Mota also informed that “Modi Model Village under SAGY” was inaugurated by Mayanglambam Rajkumar, DC, Chandel under the initiative of Lorho S Pfoze, sitting Lok Sabha MP on October 8, 2021
However, no further work nor initiatives have been taken up in the village under the Model Village besides the inauguration, the chief lamented.
He also informed that many schemes and projects from various government departments were published in the name of the village but none had been taken up so far.
Some of the proposals for identified village under SAGY 20-21 to be taken up in Modi village include Inter Village road with drainage system (3 KM), construction of office building with 3 rooms and toilet, construction of guest house with a conference hall with 30-50 room capacity, construction of kitchen with small 10 huts, construction of Eco-Garden with open seats, compound wall fencing with gate, street lighting, one tube well with solar power system, Ch. Quarter and a garage with a cost of about Rs. 4.34 crore.
However, no work on any of these have begun and we don’t understand what is happening, the village chief said.
When asked if the name Modi has any advantage in the present context considering that it is also the name of the Prime Minister of India, the village chief John Mota said that it does not really.
Modi village was established 200 years ago and we have even celebrated 100 years of Christianity for the village. So, it does not make any difference, he said.
However, considering the present crisis in the state and the silence of the centre, John Mota said it would really help if PM Modi said and did some things about the crisis and stop it.
“It would definitely help control the crisis if PM Modi would visit our state,” the Modi village chief expressed.
While further expressing concerns about the never-ending crisis in the state, stating that it has affected one and all regardless of the community, John Mota appealed for peace in the state and called on the warring communities to come to a table and sort out the issue.
