KSO flays assault of its Tamenglong branch secy
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 18 2014:
The KSO general headquarters has strongly condemned the alleged assault on KSO Tamenglong branch's secretary together with Hemkhojang, chief of Tatbung village and his councilmen on Nov 16 by UTLA (SK Thadou) group.
"This shameful act on the part of the UG group is unprecedented in the history of KSO.
The KSO has taken strong exception of this un-Kuki like behaviour of this Kuki UG group.
In the wake of this development, the KSO would like to question the nature of the SoO pact that exist between the UG group and the Government security forces.
Whether the UG groups under SoO pact are allowed to beat up villagers by interfering in their affairs is now the question the public wants to ask the authority concerned, a statement issued by Laxman Kom, information secretary of KSO (Ghqs) said.
"The KSO wants the UG group to apologize to the KSO Tamenglong branch's secretary and the chief in accordance with Kuki customs to prevent further misunderstanding or enmity," it added.
The KSO also strongly condemned the alleged boisterous conduct of the Assam Rifles personnel posted at Tengnoupal in dealing with the public of Tengnoupal in the aftermath of the bomb explosion at Sinam yesterday.
The standard procedure followed by the Assam Rifles personnel by coming down heavily on the public residing nearby whenever an explosion occurs is highly despicable, it said.
These security personnel tend to forget that they are deployed to protect the people.
The people put up with all sorts of harassment at check posts erected along roads and highways but persecution under the pretext of bomb explosion is too much to bear for the public.
There have been many incidents when the public bore the brunt of security forces' crackdown in the aftermath of UG attack.
This has to be stopped, the KSO reasoned.
Meanwhile, regarding the recent uproars over Haolenphai land acquisition issue, the KSO clarified that it had organised a protest rally in June 2014 and a public consultation afterwards and has declared its stance loud and clear.
As such there is no cause to call a bandh or start an agitation by any other Kuki organization or agency at this juncture.
The KSO is watching the moves of the Government closely and is ever ready to take on the Government on this issue at any time, it cautioned.
The Kuki people and organizations have already apprised the Central Government over this issue and the Government is yet to decide.
As the KSO is hopeful that both the Central and the State Governments will respect the view and aspiration of the Kuki people on this issue, there is no cause to be apprehensive at the moment, Laxman Kom said.