Condoning the killing
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: July 14, 2014 -

NCSN (IM) Wung Tangkhul Region (WTR) office :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

It was a twin tragedy that struck the family of Ngalangzar Malue, the elected Member and Vice Chairman of Ukhrul Autonomous District Council.

On that fateful day of July 12, Ngalangzar was going from Imphal to his native Khambi village in Ukhrul district to visit his ailing mother. But before he could meet his ailing mother, Ngalangzar lost his life and two others accompanying him including his nephew were wounded when some armed militants suspected to be members of NSCN (IM) laid an ambush on him just before reaching Finch Corner. Hearing the news about the death of Ngalangzar in the brutal armed attack, his ailing mother also breathed her last.

This twin tragedy is something that none would like to face and one would shutter to think over the impact it must have left on the surviving family members of Ngalangzar – his wife, three sons and three daughters.

However, it is so unfortunate that the cry for justice over the death of Ngalangzar, which one would have otherwise expected from his own kinsmen in Ukhrul district and elsewhere, has been taken over by the hysterical public response to the raiding of Wung Tangkhul Region office of NSCN-IM at Phungreitang, seizure of properties and arrest of its cadres by police commandos and Indian Reserve Battalion personnel.

It is funny to note that every social organisation worth its name have been coming out strongly against the action of the State police forces in raiding the Wung Tangkhul Region office of NSCN-IM and imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in and around Ukhrul district headquarters in the aftermath of the killing of Ngalangzar.

In a tone similar to that of NSCN (IM), which has, of course, come out with a statement to the media denying its involvement in the killing, all these social organizations have interestingly contended in unison that the apprehension of disturbance of public tranquillity following the killing of Ngalangzar and subsequent imposition of curfew by the district administration is unwarranted and has no rationality.

Rather, it has only created a provocative environment for the public.

Some have even gone to the extent of describing the raid conducted at Wung Tangkhul Region office of NSCN-IM and taking into custody of some cadres as a deliberate attempt to derail the ongoing peace talks between the NSCN (IM) and Government of India.

But none of these social organisations have anything to say against the killing of Ngalangzar in such brutal manner, nor do they have any concern over the death of an ailing mother soon after hearing the news of killing of her son in an ambush and the loss that the surviving family members have to bear for the rest of their life.

This is nothing but condoning the killing of a public leader in front of their own eyes, and a sad reflection on the reality of most social organisations which are supposedly working for the welfare of common people like you and me.