The case of missing girls
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 04, 2013 -
After the 48-hour total National Highway blockade called starting from midnight of March 27 by various Zeliangrong bodies in Tamenglong district, the protest demonstration over the alleged abduction and holding in captivity of two girls studying in Grace Reach Academy, Hiyanglam in Thoubal district has spread far and wide.
The two girls, namely 14-year old Alice Kamei d/o Chakri alias Punshichao Kamei of Chingphu Kamei village under Wangoi police station, Bishnupur district and 15 year old Khaidem Sanahanbi Devi d/o late Kh Shyam Singh of Upokpi, Bishnupur have been reportedly missing from their school boarding since the morning of March 10 last.
Although nothing much have been known or said from the side of family members of Sanahanbi, the family members of Alice Kamei have made a strong case that the two missing girls are in the captivity of RPF/PLA.
The family members of Alice Kamei have even gone on record saying that they have received phone calls through different mobile phone numbers from an unknown person who identified himself as a district commander of RPF/PLA as well as from other functionaries of the armed outfit, assuring that their girls are in safe hands and they would be returning home soon.
But all the mobile phones through which the contacts were established have remained switched off following persistent pressures of the family members for releasing Alice Kamei.
Now, with various Zeliangrong bodies joining in the demand for releasing the two missing girls, especially Alice Kamei, phase-wise protest demonstrations are being witnessed all over, and other social organisations have also expressed their deep concern over the issue.
If the allegation of abducting the two girls for recruitment as child soldiers is true, then, it is all the more a serious issue because the crime of abduction and recruitment of child soldiers is totally against the existing International laws and norms.
As some social organisations have pointed out the ‘safety, security, physical, social and mental integrity of the two juvenile girls’ would also be at stake.
But so far, RPF/PLA in whose custody the two missing girls are allegedly being kept and held captives has not made any clarification, either to deny or admit the allegations, despite the fact that the protest demonstration over the issue has spread far and wide. This has created confusion in the mind of the people all the more.
In a State like Manipur inhabited by different groups of people and whose social fabric is so sensitive that it could be ruptured easily even from mere hearsay, prolonging such confusion could never do anything good.
So, it would be to the betterment of all, if the outfit against whom the allegation has been levelled, come out with a clarification at the earliest possible to end this confusion.
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.