Nongpoh, July 28: The sit-in protest led by Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) president Christabell Wanniang entered its second day on Tuesday, with the organisation continuing to demand justice for a group of orphaned siblings who have alleged harassment and abuse at the hands of their maternal aunt in Lumnongrim Dewlieh village, Ri Bhoi district.
The protest, staged at the residence of the orphaned children, seeks intervention from the village authorities and law enforcement agencies to resolve what CSWO described as a prolonged family dispute. The siblings have alleged that following the death of their mother, Relinda Nongbri, they were subjected to harassment and exploitation by their maternal aunt, Worda Nongbri.
According to the allegations, the aunt attempted to sell land belonging to the orphaned children and also tried to deprive them of the benefits of a government housing scheme that was meant for them.
During the protest, Christabell Wanniang and the children met former Rangbah Shnong of Lumnongrim, Eddie G. Kharbani, who said he had been involved in documenting land-related matters while serving as village head. He stated that during his tenure there were no reports of abuse, and that the deceased mother had already distributed portions of her land among her children.
Speaking to the media, Wanniang said the sit-in protest would continue until the village authorities and the law ensured justice for the orphaned siblings.
She further demanded that Worda Nongbri provide a written undertaking to facilitate the construction of the government-sanctioned house on the land allocated to the children.
A discussion also took place between Wanniang and Kharbani, during which the former village head assured that he would place the matter before the current Rangbah Shnong and the Executive Committee of the Dorbar Shnong. He appealed to Wanniang to suspend the protest, but she declined, stating that while she was willing to participate in any meeting convened by the village authorities and present documentary evidence supporting the children’s claims, the protest would continue until justice was delivered.
The orphaned siblings expressed gratitude to Wanniang for supporting them, saying they had been unable to fight for their rights due to their financial hardship. They clarified that they were not seeking conflict with their maternal aunt but only wanted to secure the share of property that had been allocated to them by their late mother.
Meanwhile, Lumnongrim Rangbah Shnong Bryan Sohkhlet said over the telephone that the present village leadership had only recently assumed office and was still gathering information related to the dispute. He assured that the Dorbar Shnong would soon convene a meeting, where both Christabell Wanniang and the orphaned siblings would be invited, adding that the village council would deliver an impartial decision without favouring either the aunt or the children.
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