Govt employees protest Ukhrul blast
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Mamang
Ukhrul, March 24 2023:
Over one hundred government employees drawn from various departments on Friday held a protest demonstration against the bomb blast that took place inside the mini secretariat complex in Ukhrul town on March 21 .
Around 11.30am, the participants gathered in front of the main entrance of the mini secretariat to show their unequivocal protest and condemnation of the bomb blast.
They held placards inscribed with words like "We condemn proxy bombing", "We want peace", "Stop attacks on Govt offices," "Stop targeting Govt employees", "Stop Bombing, Stop violence", "Stop planting bombs at Govt offices", and others.
They demanded the government to enhance maintenance of law and order in the town in the interest of safety of office-goers and the general public.
The demonstration was peaceful and lasted for about an hour.
They also held a signature campaign during the sit-in protest among the government officials and sympathisers alike to show collective condemnation of the acts of terror.
On behalf of the participants, PHED Ukhrul executive engineer M Themreishang submitted a memorandum to the chief minister through Ukhrul DC Krishna Kumar during the demonstration.
On receiving the memorandum, Krishna Kumar said that the district level officers were staging a sit-in protest against the series of bomb explosions and planting of bombs that are taking place in different parts of Ukhrul town.
"They want peace," he said, and acknowledged receipt of the memorandum.
The memorandum urged the state authorities to take further necessary action for maintenance of law and order situation in the district in the interest of all the officials and the general public in addition to the various security measures being initiated in consultation with SP, AR, MR, SIB and other stakeholders operating in the district.
It stated the prevailing law and order situation in the district is highly sensitive in the aftermath of a series of bomb blasts and planting of JED at various locations of the district headquarters in particular.
It said that prima facie evidence on the source and reason behind such incidents has not been established so far.
On March 21, one medium intensity bomb blast occurred inside the OC office, Mini Secretariat compound at around 4.35pm.The bomb was hurled from outside the Mini Secretariat by unknown miscreants suspected to target human casualty and destruction of public property.
The bomb exploded near the eastern building leaving a crater.
There is no report of casualty from the incident, the memo pointed out.
It said that the sit-in was organised to condemn the dastardly act of creating panic and harm among office goers and the general public.
The memo further mentioned that some of the law and order situation arising in the district has also been highlighted in pursuance of Superintendent of Police, Ukhrul letter no l/PF/2023-SP (UKL) dated February 13, 2023, wherein it was reported that on December 13, 2022 an explosion suspected to be improvised hand grenade occurred inside the office complex of the Zonal Education Officer, Phungreitang, Ukhrul.
There was no case of casualty and police have taken up a suo-moto case on this incident.
On January 25, a bomb blast suspected to be a hand grenade exploded at Gandhi Chowk, Phungreitang, Ukhrul district headquarters around 5 pm.
The said hand grenade was suspected to be hurled by unknown miscreants targeting human casualty and destruction of public property.
Four casualties were recorded.
On February 7, there was a bomb scare opposite the office of 6 MR which is just 200 metres away from Mini Secretariat, DC Office, Ukhrul.
On March 23, a bomb (500 gm TNT with remote device) was found planted on the roadside in front of the PHED office, it added.
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