Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, July 07:
A six member team of Left Members of Parliament, led by Subodh Rai, of the CPI(M), arrived in Manipur today to make an on the spot assessment of the situation here.
The other members of the team include Nikhil Ananda Sar and Bajuban Riang, both of the CPI(M), Ajay Chakraborty of the CPI, Manoj Bhatacharya, of the RSP and Birsing Mahato of the Forwad Bloc.
Following their arrival in Imphal, the team paid homage and floral tributes to the martyrs who had died in the course of the anti-ceasefire extension movement at the Kekrupat cremation grounds.
The team also visited the sites which were damaged in the June 18 uprising, including several MLA's quarters and the chief minister's bungalow, as well as the state Assembly.
At the chief minister's bungalow, the team closely questioned the CRPF personnel present, including deputy commandant CRPF, H Premjit regarding how the June 18 firing had taken place.
When the team asked Premjit why the security personnel did not use tear gas or lathis to quell the crowd, the latter replied that they did not have a single tear gas shell at the time.
The MP team gave the CRPF personnel a tongue lashing over the incident for firing on civilians and admonished them to be careful in the future.
After touring the damaged sites the MP team, along with state CPI and CPI(M) leaders met with the Governor Ved Marwah.
Later they visited JN and RIMS hospital to meet those injured in the June 18 incident and subsequently.
During their meeting with the Governor, the MPs also interrogated him as to why despite having been a distinguished police officer, he was unable to take proper preventive measures to prevent the June 18 tragedy.
They also wanted to know why only Rs 1 lakh is being given as ex-gratia to those killed in the incident, maintaining that they were no criminals but innocents.
A least Rs 10 lakh each should be paid, they demanded.