Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 19:
Expressing solidarity with the people of Manipur who are agitating against the custodial killing of Th Manorama by 17 Assam Rifles personnel, North East Students' Organization (NESO) today said that brutal killing of Manorama cannot be condoned whatever be the justification given by the Assam Rifles.
The Assam Rifles must understand that they are being deployed in the North East region not to kill people randomly through fake-encounters and framing of false custodian escapes, NESO general secretary NSN Lotha stated in a faxed statement.
He observed that the sentiments and right of the people of North East should be given due respect in so far as protest and demonstration are concerned and in particular, the ongoing protest demonstration in Manipur against the recent killing of Manorama in AR custody.
The ongoing agitation is not merely for registering resentment but it is a pure show of the inner feeling of the people who are compelled to take extreme form of demonstration by sacrificing even one's modesty to demand for justice, Lotha said.
He also alleged that ever since India attains Independence, the people of North East have been constant victims of army atrocities through imposition of many kinds of black laws.
Even though India takes pride in considering itself as the largest democracy in the world, it must not use its largest army in the world to oppress the people of North East, he added.