My son (Avinash) was preparing for Class X board exams next year : Mother
Cry to trace missing students gets louder
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 09 2023: Urging the Government to carry out widespread search operations and locate the two teenage boys Maibam Avinash and Ningthoujam Anthony who went missing on November 5, hundreds of vendors staged a sit in protest at Khwairamband Keithel today.

Protest demonstrations with similar demands were also staged at Malom and Lamboikhongnangkhong Keithel.

At the protest site, Lukmai Sellup general secretary Asem Nirmala Leima said that the whereabouts of the two boys is still not known though the Government has arrested some suspects involved in the case.

She said that they, however, don't trust the investigation being carried out to rescue the two boys as the Government has failed to retrieve the bodies of Phijam Hemanjit and Hijam Linthoingambi who went missing on July 6 despite handing over the case to CBI.

My son (Avinash) was preparing for Class X board exams next year : Mother

Saying that the Government sending a large troop of security forces at Moreh is appreciable and the same action must be taken up to locate the two boys, she urged the relevant authorities to do the needful at the earliest.

She said that they want action and not assurance from the Government to rescue the two boys and hand them over to their respective families.

Lukmai Sellup will endorse every initiative taken up by the JAC concerned and launch stern agitations if the demand is not entertained, she cautioned.

It may be mentioned that two suspects, Lhunkhosei Chongloi (30) and Satgohgin Hangsinh (28) have been apprehended by police in connection with the missing case.

On the other hand, a sit-in-protest was staged today at Akham Awang Leikai demanding safe release of Maibam Avinash and Ningthoujam Anthony.

Maibam Debrani, mother of Avinash, said she has not yet lost hope that her son would one day come back to her.

"However, with the Government still unable to establish any lead to the disappearance of the two students, our hope is diminishing day by day," the worried mother said.

Saying that her son was preparing to give the Class X board exam next year, Debrani appealed to all concerned to release her son safely.

Ningthoujam Anthony's mother Premlata said that her son went to Sekmai, not to any frontline.

Even though both the Governor and the Chief Minister gave assurances that the two boys would be rescued for sure, the same assurances have not been fulfilled yet, she decried.

She further lamented that the Government is still unable to establish any lead regarding the whereabouts of the two missing boys even after two individuals suspected to be involved in their kidnapping have been arrested.

Placards inscribed with the words "Stop abduction of innocent students", "We want justice", "Hand over the two students to their families immediately" etc were used at the protest demonstration.

Sit-in protests were also staged at multiple locations including Senjam Chirang and Senjam Khunou in Imphal West which is next to Akham, the native place of the two missing boys today.

Placards which read.

"Protect the students", "Rescue Avinash and Anthony", "Penalise those who killed SDPO Chingtham Anand Kumar" and "We want justice" were seen in many of the protest sites.

At Senjam Chirang, secretary of the local meira paibi lup Heikham ongbi Umbrabati said that so far four students have gone missing amid the violence and they presumably are dead.

It is truly unfortunate that the Government can't locate the whereabouts of any of these students, she rued and asked how the Chief Minister can boldly speak of peace returning when people can't enter certain areas within Manipur.

People are still missing and there is no let up in gun violence by Kuki militants, she added.

When will there be normalcy in Manipur if Ministers and MLAs continue to remain silent, she said and asked if the elected representatives are going to take concrete action only when their family members get hurt.

Similar protest demonstrations were also staged at different areas along Tiddim stretch, Keishampat, Khurai, Konung Mamang, Uripok, Naoremthong, Langjing, Lamdeng and several other places of Imphal East and Imphal West.

Kwakeithel Apunba Meira Paibi Lup held their protest near Tiddim Ground and the same was participated by students of Pitambara English School, Regular High School and Ratankumar Memorial School.

One student Bebika Moirangthem said that disappearance of students on different occasions amid the course of violence has created fear psychosis among the students.

She then appealed to the Government to put maximum efforts in tracing the missing students and hand them over to their respective families.