Imphal, January 07 2009: Surrenderees whose quarters have been dismantled or forced to dismantle have launched hunger strike in the open air at the place where their quarters were from today.

Their quarters located to the North of commando complex where the police dog squad was earlier, were dismantled on January 4 following a warning by one Imphal West police officer that the surrenderees should dismantle their dwelling quarters else the same would be demolished.

Left without a shelter, the surrenderees launched their from today by putting up tents in the open air amidst the debris of their dismantled quarters.

The main demands of the ex-militants include release of pending stipends, incentive for surrendered weapons and suitable Government jobs.

It is reported that these demands have been put forward to the Chief Minister through a memorandum yesterday.

The memorandum mentioned that the State Government approved recruitment of 74 surrenderees as Rifleman/follower in State forces in 2005 .

Out of the 74, 40 have been recruited as Rifleman and their lives re-settled.

But the remaining surrenderees have not been given any job till date.Ten surrenderees and their families were staying at the quarters which have been dismantled now while others have taken shelter in family lines of State forces.

"We are not asking to live here forever.

Our appeal is to give us jobs and allow us to live in our place of posting." "Failure to provide even dwelling place, forget about job, while calling upon militants to surrender sounds absurd and this would not bring anything positive", said one of the surrenderees.

Saying that they would continue their hunger strike for three days, the surrenderees disclosed that they would go for 'alternative means' in case the Government fails to pay heed to their plight after three days, assuming that the Government has cast them out.

"Since 2000, we don't get a single rupee from the Government under its Surrenderee Policy" they decried while maintaining that under such circumstances it was impossible to stay either at home or in rent.

As the surrenderees have launched hunger strike in the open air, their family members have gone away seeking shelter at their homes or in rented rooms or in the houses of friends and relatives.

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