Violating SoO ground rules Delhi, Imp talk tough

IMPHAL, Mar 1 : Taking a serious view of the allegations raised against some Kuki armed groups, the Centre and the State Government have made it clear that they would not remain silent if the cadres of the armed groups, which have signed the Suspension of Operation agreement, violate the ground rules and extort and harass the public. This strong message was conveyed to the leaders of the KNO and UPF during the fourth meeting of the SoO held yesterday with Additional Chief Secretary (Home) DS Poonia in the chair. The meeting was attended by the Joint Secretary of the Home Affairs (North East) Navin Verma, IG Intelligence LM Khaute and representatives from the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF and Intelligence Department.If the armed groups in talks with the Government engage in abducting Government officials and the public for ransom, serve extortion demands on the public, then the Government will take up fitting action, the UPF and KNO leaders were told, said a source. To pay a monthly allowance of Rs 2000 each per cadre per month to 800 men of the KNO and 1000 men of the UPF with effect from January this year, the Government has sanctioned a sum of Rs 36 lakhs, said the source further. The Government has made it clear that they will not pay allowance to overground workers and cadres who are stationed outside the State. On top of the 11 designated camps identified for the KNO and UPF one more camp for the UPF has been identified, said the source and added that construction work of the camps will start from this month. The designated camps are located at Churachandpur, Chandel and Sadar Hills, said the source and added that a sum of Rs 2.75 crore has been deposited with the Manipur Police Housing Corporation. The need material will be supplied by the Government and construction work will be taken up by the cadres of the outfits. At the moment the Army, AR, police and SIB are keeping a watch over the sites of the designated camps.

Villagers allege UG harassments

IMPHAL, Feb 28: Even as the fourth round of meeting of the Joint Monitoring Group was held today along with leaders of Kuki UG groups which are signatories to the Suspension of Operation (SoO) truce with the Government of India and Manipur, reports have been recieved of constant harassments meted out by armed cadres of the SoO signatories to the people of villages situated along the embankment of Thoubal River in Imphal East district.According to reports, the armed cadres in camouflage have been coming to these villages at night time and harassing the people with monetary demand and snatching of mobile phones and in case of failing to entertain their demands, the armed cadres subject the people to physical torture.As a consequent, the people of these villages, who rely mainly on agricultural activities and gather- ing of pebbles from Thoubal river, have not be able to take rest at night after the day’s hard work fearing atrocities of the armed cadres. In such a situation, vigilant Meira Paibis have been taking their turns in patrolling the area at night time by dividing themselves into groups.In protest against the conduct of the armed cadres of the SoO signatories, a Wakat Meepham was also staged today at the community hall of Leirongthel Pitra today.After the Wakat Mee-pham, a protest rally was also taken out in and around the area later during the day.Participating in the rally, the protestors carried placards inscribed with slogans like ‘Allow us to live in peace’, ‘Don’t deny our rights to live peacefully’, etc.According to people of Leirongthel Pitra, the armed cadres have been frequent-ly coming to the villages at night and after gaining for-ced entry search the houses by pulling out mattresses and opening almirahs.Sometimes, the armed intruders identify themselves as KNF-P and sometimes as USRA cadres.If the monetary demand of the armed intruders were not entertained, the family members were threatened and their mobile phones snatched and anyone who tried to stop the armed intruders from snatching the mobile phones were beaten up.The armed intruders also repeatedly pestered the family members with questions like who else in the family are UGs.Over and above deman-ding Rs 5,000 from every rice mills, Rs 50,000 from every saw mills, Rs 5000 from every owner of Jeeps, Cars and Tata trucks, Rs 10,000 from bus owners, the armed intruders like never before have also recently demanded payment of hou-se taxes ranging from Rs 5000 to Rs 10000 and even upto Rs 1 lakhs in accordance to the condition of the houses.Following the presence of the armed cadres, none of the trucks from Imphal have been able to come to the area for collecting the pebbles gathered by the villagers from Thoubal river. Even the autorickshaws are plying in the area after paying monthly taxes to the armed cadres who do not even spare the labourers engaging in breaking boulders and collecting sand from the with demand of Rs 100 each. From each quarry sites, the armed cadres have also imposed taxes upto Rs 10,000 and above.It is conveyed that the eastern headquarters camp of KNF-P is located at Bongba Khullen situated not very far from the post of the IRB deployed for the security of Mapithel Dam and IRB personnel could no nothing to stop the KNF-P cadres from sneaking to the nearby villages, though there had been instances in the past in which IRB personnel beaten up KNF-P cadres after being rounded up for their alleged excesses.The villagers also informed that the secretary of Leirongthel Youth Development Club has not been able to go out for work for around 2 months now after being beaten up by the alleged KNF-P cadres for failing to collect and hand over the demanded amount/taxes.

Wild and violent school boys given bitter medicine by KYKL-UNLF

IMPHAL, Dec 29: Fifteen boys of 17 Class XII students of Kanan Devi Memorial School who attempted to assault a teacher of the school and badly beat up the driver of a school buses when the latter tried to intervene, were summoned by the Joint Task Force, JTF, (Human Resource) of the KYKL and UNLF and given 10 lashes each with a mean looking cane whip as punishment before the media today somewhere in the Thoubal district.The two who did not respond to the summon by the JTF have been served notice to report by January 5, failing which they would be awarded severe and exemplary punishment, commander of the JTF Lamjingba told the media persons present.Further, parents of all the 17 boy were told to pay Rs. 1000 each towards medical and hospital expenses of the school bus driver they injured during the unwarranted assault, the JTF spokesman said. Two are prompt and have already paid up, according to a report.The atrocious assault by the students happened on December 11, during the school test for Class XII students scheduled during December 8 and 22 ahead of their CBSE final examination next year.A student by the name of Phanjoubam Lokendro son of Ph. Somorendro tried to enter another exam room where one of his friends was giving his test to copy something from his notebook.The teacher on invigilation duty, Nameirakpam Bobby forbade Lokendro from entering the room saying that he should come back after the test is over. Lokendro refused and tried to force his way in. Other teachers intervened and pacified the situation.The matter however did not end there, for Lokendro along with 16 other companions were waiting for the teacher at Khurai Heikru Makhong and stopped a school bus in which they thought the teacher may be travelling.They searched the bus, but did not find Bobby. However, some of them spotted the teacher coming along the same road on a two wheeler, and the boys accosted him and tried to assault him.The driver of the school bus then tried to intervene and save the teacher, but the boys turned on him and beat him up brutally, injuring him.The 15 boys who received punishment of the KYKL and UNLF today have since been handed over to their parents, Lamjingba said.He said the JTF would remain vigilant of such acts of students indiscipline and severe punishments awaits those who disrespect their teachers.