'Shameless GOC' slogan reverberates
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 03 2024:
With the Government and its security agencies including the army unable to trace the whereabouts of Laishram Kamalbabu who went missing from inside the 57 Mountain Division Headquarters, Leimakhong on November 25, anguished and worried people staged protests for the eighth consecutive day on Tuesday.
Kanto Sabal reverberated with the protesters' slogans "Bring out Kamalbabu alive", "Shameless GOC" etc.
After confronting army personnel, the protesters also burnt effigies of the GOC, 57 Mountain Division.
Since early morning, a large number of womenfolk staged a sit-in-protest in the middle of the road at Leimakhong Chingmang.
A few days back, Belarani wife of the missing Kamalbabu made a fervent request to the GOC to trace the whereabouts of her husband by December 3 .
But the GOC could not give any clue regarding the whereabouts of Kamalbabu till today.
At around 2.30 pm, a large number of people led by Belarani marched on Leimakhong Chingmang road up to the spot where the army placed concertina wire to block protesters.
The anguished protesters removed the barricade and threw the concertina wires into the road side drain and marched forward.
But the protesters were stopped by army troops leading to a stand-off between the two sides.
Even though their protest march was halted by army troops, the protesters shouted in unison "Indian Army down, down", "57 Mountain Division down, down", "Shameless GOC", "Shameless Leimakhong Army", "Bring out Kamalbabu alive" etc.
These slogans reverberated throughout Kanto Sabal area for quite some time.
The aggrieved people's agitation did not show any sign of abatement for several hours.
As the protesters tried to burn an effigy of 57 Mountain Division GOC Major General SS Karthikeya, the army troops tried to snatch the effigy.
This led to a confrontation between the army personnel and the protesters.
The protesters managed to hold on to the effigy and set it ablaze and they again shouted slogans like "57 Mountain Division GOC down, down" .
In the meantime, Belarani fainted.
Taking strong exception to the Indian army's failure to trace the whereabouts of Laishram Kamalbabu, the JAC formed in connection with the disappearance/ab-duction of Laishram Kamalbabu intensified their agitation from December 1 and blocked movement of army vehicles on the roads of Sekmai and Kanto Sabal.
Meanwhile, a Division Bench of the High Court of Manipur has issued a direction to form a committee presided by the District Magistrate Kangpokpi to investigate the disappearance of Laishram Kamalbabu.
A writ petition filed by a younger brother of Laishram Kamalbabu was listed for hearing before the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice Golmei Gaiphulshillu Kabui.
The Division Bench, after hearing the submission of the petitioner's counsel Senior Advocate Kh Tarunkumar and Deputy Advocate General H Debendra and the Central Government's standing counsel issued a direction to constitute a committee presided by the District Magistrate, Kangpokpi and comprising SP Imphal West, SP Kangpokpi and GOC 57 Mountain Division to investigate the disappearance of Laishram Kamalbabu from the Leimakhong army camp and submit their report within a week.
The Court fixed further hearing of the writ petition on December 11 .
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