Victim recounts Pune attacks
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 14, 2012:
The Joint Students Co-ordination Committee has urged both the state Government of Manipur and Central Government for timely intervention in the
Pune incidents where Manipuri students are being beaten up by local residents.
Joint Students Co-ordination Committee member Angamba Meitei made the appeal at a press
meet in the office of Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) here today.
Khongdram Premananda, one of the victims of the Pune incidents, was also present
at the press meet.
Angamba said the student committee condemns the act of racial profiling of the Northeast students in Pune and that such incidents are occurring
despite the recent assurance given by the Home Minister that such discrimination would not be repeated anywhere in the country.
The Government of Maharashtra needs to
take up stern action to stop the crime, he said.
Premananda said some persons thrashed him at the basketball ground of Pune College of Arts/Science, Anjuman Khairun
on August 8.He is a standard twelve student of the college.
The assailants started beating him after showing video clippings of Assam communal violence asking him
whether he was an Assamese or Myanmarese, Premananda told the press meet.
He got another beating at a bus stand and later on his way to Ramtikri where he stayed in a
rented house, Premananda was thrashed by another group of local residents using sticks and iron rods on the night of August 11.But, they freed him after he showed his
identity card to them.
He suffered several cuts in the incident.
The college has been closed after the incident, he further informed, and appealed to all concerned to
take up measures to prevent recurrence of such attacks.