KSO Jiri calls highway bandh
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 21 2016:
The Kuki Student's Organi-sation (KSO), Jiri and Tameng- long has called a 24 hours bandh along NH37 (Jiribam-Imphal) from the midnight of April 24 in protest against the State Government's failure to take befitting action against the 27 AR personnel involved in assaulting Leihaojang villagers on March 31, our correspondent reports.
The 27 Assam Rifles personnel under the command of Major Bhandari went to Leihaojang village on the pretext of counter insurgency operation.
In the course of the operation, they paraded the villagers of Leihaojang and allegedly subjected them to inhuman treatments.
Five villagers including one woman were severely injured in the assault .
The injured villagers were admitted to a hospital in Jiribam.
KSO Jiribam and Tameng-long had visited the village in the aftermath of the assault.
They had also filed an FIR with the Nungba police station against the AR personnel.
Although it has been 20 days since the FIR was filed, the authorities concerned are yet to take up any action against the AR personnel.
Such assault on civilians by AR is not new, KSO said in a statement.
There have been countless number of incidents in which AR personnel are involved in human rights violation, extra judicial killings, torture and assault upon people.
There is no respect for human rights and Law in the land, the KSO said in the statement.
Innocent villagers continue to bear the brunt of counter insurgency operations and AFSPA while the State Government watch in silence all the unlawful activities taking place in the land.
The organisation demands while demanding befitting punishment for Major Bhandari and his cohorts as per law said the AR must tender a public apology for their misdemeanours with an assurance to put a stop to all sorts of violence against innocent villagers in the future.
The 24 hours highway bandh will come into effect from midnight of April 24 .
If the State Government fails to bring an amicable solution of the issue within the duration of the bandh, more severe form of agitation would be launched, the KSO warned.
They have further appealed to all the people to support their agitation.