TNAL flays Somrei firing incident
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 09 2016 :
The
Tangkhul Naga Aze
Longphang, TNAL (Southern
Tangkhul Naga Union) has
vehemently condemned the
incident in December 28
wherein five civilians were
injured by indiscriminate firing
of the police commandos at K
Somrei village.
In a statement, the union
maintained that the incident
occurred due to lack of moral
ethics and respect towards the
custom and tradition followed
by the Christians.
Social gathering
during Christmas is
being practised by the Christian
community where both
parents and children participate
with joyful spirit.
Though the villagers have
strongly demanded immediate
shifting of ABCI camp and
termination of involved police
commandos, the State Government
has failed to intervene
on the matter and take up necessary
steps, the statement
said.
From the initial stage,
TNAL had requested the authority
concerned not to set up
ABCI godown and deploy
police commandos in the area
as the site is not suitable.
However, taking advantage of
the kidnapping case of two labourers
of ABCI, police
commandos were deployed to
guard the company's godown.
After some months, the
police commandos started going
beyond their call of duty
and frisked passenger taxis
and buses plying along the
route.
They started collecting
taxes from traders.
The police
commandos whose sole duty
was to guard the ABCI
godown started patrolling the
area with arms and request to
intervene on the matter was
not heeded by the authority
concerned of ABCI, TNAL
stated.
"TNAL wants to know if
there is police out post at K
Somrei village.
If yes, why
has the State Government
failed to apprise the information
to the DC, SDO and
village headman concerned?"
the statement questioned.
Road construction work
from Chandrakhong to Kasom
Khullen by ABCI under the
funding of ADB should be
completed before the onset of
rainy season and shift the
godown at the earliest.
Police
commandos deployed in the
godown should be withdrawn.
In case these demands
are not addressed, TNAL
along with 87 village headmen
and villagers will launch
different forms of agitation.