Hostage exchange demand absurd: UCM, IPSA
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 30 2024: United Committee Manipur (UCM) president YK Dhiren has strongly condemned the demands put forward for exchanging the two youths held hostage by Kuki terrorists with a Kuki individual currently in the custody of National Investigation Agency (NIA) .

Speaking on the sidelines of releasing 5500 fingerlings in Kekrupat on the occasion of the 128th birth anniversary of Lamyanba Hijam Irabot on Monday, Dhiren noted that such acts of terrorism and the central government's attitude with regard to the conflict till date have raised some serious concerns.

Majority of the armed Kuki terrorists had signed the SoO with the central government.

As such, the act of abducting and holding of civilians as hostage by such SoO groups for their outrageous demands is most unfortunate, he remarked.

Stating that the fate of the two youths lie in the hands of the union home minister, Dhiren said that the central government s real attitude towards Manipur will be substantiated in case the two abducted youths could be saved.

So far, the central government has not taken up any action, he observed, while cautioning that if both central and state governments do not do anything to save the two, the people could launch movement never seen before.

On the other hand, International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA) questioned how security forces in the buffer zone did not halted the three youths, who had mistakenly travelled to old Keithelmanbi instead of New Keithelmanbi to participate in recruitment for Assam Rifles.

In a press release, IPSA said that while one of the youths had been released, the responsibility of securing release of the two youths still held hostage by Kuki militants, lie on the security forces.

Furthermore, the demand of the Kuki militants to release NIA prisoner Mark Haokip for the two youths is basically an act of terrorism.

As such, central and state governments need to take concrete action like any other responsible government would do.

IPSA continued that it is shocking for the central government to remain quiet and the state government to only hold cabinet meetings, when the Kuki militants have resorted to play out terrorism activities from reel to real life.

It questioned where has the central government's zero tolerance on terrorism gone and eagerness to do surgical strikes Instead of using Manipur for geopolitical purposes, the central and state governments should eliminate all Kuki militants and declare them as terrorists, he demanded.

Furthermore, the drama played out by Assam Rifles of "rescuing" one of the youths left behind by Kuki narco-terrorists and handing him over to state forces, is raising questions on the credibility of Assam Rifles, the release stated and urged the people to be vigilant when stepping out of their homes.

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