The tragic death of a candidate
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 19, 2013 -

Examining the body of Jonathan Kashung, who was found murdered after being abducted :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

It was the worst fear that the people never ever wished to see or hear.

But the power of the smoke and fire that comes out from the barrel of a gun, which could silence the voice of the very same people, has turned out to be too powerful for anyone to prevent it from happening.

It was indeed a tragedy.

Yes, we are talking about the ugly episode of the abduction and subsequent brutal murder of Jonathan Kashung, one of the presidential candidates in the elections to Tangkhul Naga Long, the most influential apex customary body of the Tangkhul community.

After all its chief functionaries tendered their resignation papers on June 28 last following a constitutional crisis, the general assembly of TNL had given the mandate for holding a fresh election within three months' time.

And that the awaited election was due today (September 18).

But following the recovery of the lifeless decomposed body of Jonathan Kashung, whose whereabouts had remained unknown after his abduction from Ukhrul town's Phungreitang area on September 13 morning, the high-voltage political drama, which was building up around the suspenseful elections ended abruptly and unceremoniously, casting a pall of gloom over the whole community, which has always believed and proudly live up to the principle of federal democracy down the centuries.

The tragic death of Jonathan Kashung has not only given a new twist to the historical churning of a community and its apex body, but also raised various questions, whose answers should be obvious to all without any prompting.

From all the hush-hush talks that were doing the round on the possibility of the ruling Congress party looking for political bedfellow in the run to the now countermanded elections to the apex Tangkhul body , one who can read in between the lines must not find any difficulty in putting the jigsaw pieces together to understand as to who was the TNL presidential candidate Jonathan Kashung, why he was abducted, who were behind the abduction, why the normally vocal Tangkhul frontal organisations remained silent over the issue for two days before they finally mustered up the courage for making a joint meeting and appeal for his safe and secure release, and why the abductors murdered him at last.

Abduction of Jonathan Kashung or that matter any person from the heart of Ukhrul town is not something which could be thought of accomplishing by any Tom, Dick or Harry even in their wildest dreams.

So, the bereaved family members have rightly demanded to know the reason for the inhumane act of the abduction and subsequent killing of Jonathan Kashung from none other than 'the mother of all insurgencies in the northeast'.

Or, the mother of all killings in the northeast, should we add?