Boycott call wins many hearts in Inner Manipur seat
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 22 2009: Public resentment over the brutal killing of Kasom Khullen SDO Dr Thingnam Kishan and his two subordinate staff by armed cadres of NSCN (IM) came to the fore affecting the conduct of the election to the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency today with more than half of the total voters in Thangmeiband Assembly Constituency staying away from the election.

Significantly Thangmeiband Assembly Constituency, where the late Dr Th Kishan hailed from, recorded a measly 46.74 pc turn out.

A polling station at Thangmeiband AC with no voters while boycott posters are being put up

Demanding justice over the killing Kasom Khullen SDO Dr Th Kishan and his two sub-ordinate staff namely driver Rajen and Revenue Mandal Token and denouncing the failure of the State Government to take up necessary action against the killers, the aggrieved public boycotted the election in some of the polling stations in Thangmeiband Assembly Constituency.

Out of the total 26,719 voters in Thangmeiband Constituency, just over 10,000 voters reportedly cast their votes.

It may be recalled here that expressing solidarity to the cause of the JAC Against the Brutal Killing of Dr Th Kishan, A Rajen and Y Token, Thangmeiband United Club and Thangmeiband Meira Paibi Apunba Lup have announced boycott of the election and urged the people to do the same.

The agitators also put up placards inscribed with wordings like 'Say no to vote, Yes to life' at different places of the Constituency.

At around noon, some suspected supporters of the boycott call reportedly pelted stones three times at Khwai Lalambung Makhong High School where the polling booths of the polling station no.9/24 and 9/27 were set up.

At the time of the incident, there were not many voters around and no one was hurt in the attack.

Additional security forces were pressed into action to launch a manhunt of the miscreants.

But there is no report of any arrest in this regard.

In connection with the election boycott stand, mother of late Dr Kishan, Pramo Devi said 'it is not appropriate for us to vote when the Government has failed to protect the civilian and punish the guilty persons.

Why Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh is still keeping silent when the NSCN (IM) has already admitted to killing my son and his two staff?, the bereaved mother questioned.

A voter of Thangmeiband A/C who stayed away from exercising his franchise said 'we will continue our agitation until and unless the killer NSCN (IM) cadres are punished by the Government.

Kishan, his driver Aribam Rajen Sharma and Mandal Yumnam Token Singh were found bludgeoned to death at a village in Senapati district on February 17 .

The NSCN (IM) admitted that three of its cadres were involved in the trio's brutal killing and that it had taken the accused in its custody for giving fitting punishment.

The 15-day deadline sought by the armed outfit to punish its guilty cadres has also been lapsed.

Though the State Government has handed over the case to the CBI for investigation, no one has been pulled up so far.