Students rescued, kidnappers held, protests galore
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 26: Two students reading in class VI in Antartic English School, Yairipok were rescued by IRB and police personnel from being kidnapped by unidentified armed persons today.

On the other hand, local people of Pangaltabi pulled up one individual reportedly involved in kidnapping children while Thoubal police commandos apprehended another individual in subsequent search operations.

According to information received from Imphal East Police, two students clad in casual dress were found travelling in a bus coming Yairipok side by a team of 4th IRB personnel at Kongba bridge.

Their school uniforms were found inside their satchels.

Suspicious as they were, the IRB team detained the two children and informed Imphal East police.

Subsequently, the two children were picked up by a police team led by Additional SP (Imphal East) Md Qayamuddin. On verification, the two 12 year old children were identified as Md Aslam Khan and Md Juber, both belonging to Yairipok Singda.

Protest by womenfolk against kidnapping of children and police swing into action against vehicles with tinted glass.

Further it was learnt that some armed persons who came in a van with a child threatened Aslam Khan when he was coming to school on July 24 to come to Andro parking today.

Acting on the threat Aslam Khan was coming to Andro parking with Juber today.

Both the children have been handed over to their respective parents this afternoon, conveyed the police source.

On the other hand, two individuals came to Pangaltabi under Sugnu police station last night and thrashed a mother for refusing to hand over her child.

Following the incident, the local people rounded up one of the two individuals who attempted to kidnap children this morning.

The individual was later handed over to Assam Rifles.

According to information received from police, the two individuals came to the house of one Ningombam Sabitri and asked for her son.

On the refusal of Sabitri, the duo thrashed the mother.

Enraged with the incident, the locals built up a mob this morning and hunted down one of the two individuals involved in thrashing Sabitri.

The accused identified as Takhellambam Sarat (21) of Pangaltabi Chingkha Leikai was later handed over to 21 Assam Rifles stationed in the village this afternoon.

Acting on information provided by the villagers, Thoubal police commandos and Assam Rifles managed to nab the other individual involved in the incident.

The second accused has been identified as one Somorjit.

Protest rally: Suspending their daily activities for the day, women vendors of Khwairamband Bazar today took out a rally on the streets of Imphal demanding that armed militants stop kidnapping young children and recruiting them as child soldiers.

Before taking out the rally, the women vendors staged at Wakat Meepham at the temporary sheds of the market starting from 10 am.

At around 12.30 pm, the protestors took an instant decision of taking out the rally and started out from the temporary market sheds carrying festoons and placards and shouting slogans demanding to stop at once kidnapping of young children and recruiting them as child soldiers by militants as well as decrying the alleged silence/inaction of the Government over the issue.

As the women protestors neared BT Flyover, police stopped them from going ahead leading to a confrontation.

Regardless of the police action, the infuriated womenfolk marched ahead upto Treasury Office where a reinforcement of police personnel stopped them declaring the area a security alert zone.

From there, the rallyists were made to turn back with the security personnel in tow.

After passing through Khoyathong and Nagamapal, the protestors converged at the temporary market shed.

Consequent to the agitation of the women vendors, most of the shops in Khwairamband Bazar remained shut for the day affecting normal business transaction.

Protest rally and Wakat Meepham against kidnapping of young children and recruiting them as child soldiers by militants were also reportedly held at different parts of the State today.

At Kumbi Bazar, a mass protest rally was taken out against kidnapping of children, release all the kidnapped children, not to recruit child soldiers, reduce prices of essential commodities and hike the wages of daily wage earners.

Organised jointly by Apunba Nupi Lup, Bishnupur district, Kumbi Branch and Apunba Nupi Lup, Kumbi, the protest rally participated by a large number of students from different schools of Kumbi area, social workers, Meira Paibis, Pradhans and members of Zilla Parishad as taken out from Kumbi Tera Kha till Kumbi PS before returning to the starting point where a public meeting was held.

Those who spoke at the meeting strongly condemned kidnapping of young and innocent children and recruiting them as child soldiers.

They also drew the attention of the Government to the problems being faced by the people due to hike in the prices of essential commodities.

The meeting resolved to take recourse to various intense agitations if the Government does not take up necessary steps to reduce the price of essential commodities.

In protest against kidnapping of young children for recruitment as child soldiers, the students and teachers of Temple of Learning School, Canchipur also took out a silent rally today.

A protest rally was also taken out against kidnapping young children at Mayang Imphal today by the Meira Paibis and the students of the area.

Holding placards inscribed with messages demanding to stop kidnapping of young children and allowing them to study without any fear and intimidation, the participants also shouted slogans during the rally.

After the rally organised under the aegis of All Manipur Nupi Marup, a meeting a public meeting was held at Mayang Imphal Bazar in this regard.

At Samurou Bazar, the local Meira Paibis and students staged a Wakat Meepham over the same issue.

Under the aegis of Khundrakpam Awang Leikai and Khundrakpam Mayai Leikai Santiraksha Marup, a sit-in-protest demonstration against child abductions and recruitment of child soldiers was also held at Pangalba Lai Haraopham ground today.

At night, Meira Paibis of Keishampat Leimajam Leikai took out a torch rally decrying abduction of young children for recruitment as child soldiers by militants.

The torch rallyists also shouted slogans urging the Government to take up necessary measures to stop child abductions by militants.