NPF explains stand
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Senapati, January 16 2013:
Naga People's Front (NPF), Manipur State has given its reason on why the party was not part of the all-party delegation that had gone to New Delhi to meet Central leaders on the December 18 Chandel incident where an NSCN-IM cadre had allegedly molested or assaulted a film actress.
NPF, Manipur State secretary Athuan Abonmai said today that it was too 'petty a matter' to be taken up by all the political parties.
The NPF, Manipur State unit said that the December 18 incident was a matter of discord between two individuals which was not even fit to be billed as a 'law and order issue' .
Chronicling how the turn of event wound up in connection with the Chandel incident, the NPF, Manipur State said the all political party meeting was convened on December 25 by the chief minister of Manipur in his office chamber to condemn the same incident.
"In the said meeting, Naga People's Front (NPF) Manipur State unit made it clear that the NPF too condemned any crime against women but it should not be communalised in doing so.
The NPF also had categorically stated that the Chandel incident was not a political issue.
It is a petty incident where a discord cropped up between two individuals.
It is rather not fit to be termed a law and order problem.
However, the said all political party meeting was adamant to send a delegation to Delhi to pressurise the government of India which the NPF regards as unnecessary on the part of all political parties in general and the Government of Manipur in particular," Athuan Abonmai, the Manipur State NPF secretary said.
It then alleged that the valley based civil society organisations in league with Film Forum Manipur (FFM) and Manipur Sumung Leela Council termed the incident as molestation.
"However, by any standard the incident was not qualified to be a case of molestation.
They had purposefully used it as a case of molestation just to whip up public sentiment of the valley people which was sub-consciously endorsed by the state Government," the NPF stated.
It then alleged that while a number of cabinet meetings and all political party meetings were convened to condemn the 'petty Chandel incident' and decided to send all party delegation, they ignored to acknowledge and condemn the damages and sufferings inflicted upon the hill people by the bandh supporters in the valley by burning and damaging of properties including large number of vehicles worth crores of rupees belonging to poor tribal Christmas shoppers coming from the hills.
"Many Christmas shoppers were stranded for days due to lightning indefinite bandh called from the midnight of the 21st December, 2012 by FFM and MSLC supported by valley based civil societies.
The poor tribal Christmas shoppers went home empty handed and psychologically disturbed over and above by the abusive languages hurled upon them.
Many got injured and were hospitalised and some of them are still in the hospital bed.
Even the coffins containing dead bodies were not spared by the bandh supporters while being transported to the hills.
International Red Cross is allowed to collect the dead bodies during any war time but the valley based bandh supporters did not spare even the dead bodies.
On the 24th December, 2012 seven Tangkhul Naga girls were physically assaulted at Lamlong by bandh supporters and subsequently attempted to rape by valley based militant cadres at Napetpali, Imphal East district," further alleged the Manipur State NPF.
According to the NPF, Manipur State, many such inhuman and abominable acts were meted out to the poor tribals of Manipur.
The same issue was raised by NPF during all political party meeting on December 25.However, the Chief Minister vehemently ignored it, Athuan Abonmai added.
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