Alice Kamei's case President's intervention sought
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Imphal, April 15 2013:
Zeliangrong organisations have sought the intervention of President of India Pranab Mukherjee in the Alice Kamei case who is allegedly in the custody of Revolutionary Peoples' Front/Peoples Liberation Army (RPF/PLA).
The President of India is currently on a two-day visit to Manipur starting today.
Mentionably, RPF/PLA had said that Alice Kamei is 16 years old and had joined the outfit on her own volition while the Zeliangrong organisations have rejected the outfit's version and accused the militant outfit of kidnapping the school girl to force her to join the group.
The Zeliangrong organisations also said that Alice Kamei is only 14 years old.
In a joint memorandum submitted to the President of India today, the All Zeliangrong Students Union (AZSU), Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) and Zeliangrong Students' Union Manipur (ZSUM) said minor school girl Alice Kamei, a Class-IX student of Grace Reach Academy, Hiyanglam has been held captive by the RPFPLA since March 10 .
The AZSU, ZYF and ZSUM also urged the President to intervene into the matter and secure the safe release of the captive minor girl.
"It has been more than one month since Alice Kamei has been held captive by RPF/PLA but the Government of Manipur chooses to remain a silent spectator inspite of the memorandum and the ultimatum submitted and resorting of different forms of democratic agitation demanding the safe release of the school girl.
The gesture of the government of Manipur has signified unrelated to anything happen to tribal people especially the Naga community," said the joint memorandum of the three Zeliangrong organisations to the President of India.
"Had the minor school girl happened to be hailing from the Meitei community and held captive by any hill based underground group there could have been series of cabinet meetings, all political parties meetings, delegation rushing to Delhi, convening assembly session for discussion, passing resolutions, condemnations from civil societies whose news filling in all the local newspapers," the AZSU, ZYF and ZSUM alleged.
The memorandum then said that towards the Nagas in particular and tribals in general, the government of Manipur's impartiality and bias dealing has become a routine affairs.
"There are various possible ways and avenues for the government of Manipur to secure release the minor school girl had there been equality in dispensing of responsibility, willingness, commitment, respect to her life, honour the voice of people.
But it is only because the government of Manipur's sheer negligence, less concern, communal, systematic manipulation, suppression, segregative mindset, the minor school girl has been held captive for more than one month by RPF/PLA without any justifiable reasons," the AZSU, ZYF and ZSUM pointed out in their memorandum.
"The RPF/PLA, the organization which indulges in deduction of huge percentage from every establishment, including employees under the government of Manipur whose based is well known by the government cannot be escaped from negotiation had the government of Manipur taken seriously regarding the life of the minor school girl," the memorandum alleged.
It then said that the government of Manipur might be well aware from its intelligence network regarding the health status of the captive minor school girl as she is physically unfit due to poor eyesight.
She needs regular medical check-up as she is also under medication for serious health problem as per her family source.
The government of India and the government of Manipur should show similar concern as one done at Kandahar in Afghanistan to save the lives of passengers in the terrorists hijacked plane," the Zeliangrong bodies stated.
"The RPF/PLA which is waging a bush war and campaigning against India for alleged human rights violation but held captive of minor school girl amounts to gross violation of own declaration like the old saying goes ugly frog making fun of crab looks despite the fact that both appear ugly to onlookers, therefore, immediate release of the minor school girl is the only solution," the memorandum of the three Zeliangrong organisations mentioned.