Sehao villagers flee after KNLF assault
Source: The Sangai Express

Chandel, May 11 2015 : Following the brutal assault of five villagers of Sehao including village chief and six labourers engaged in road construction under PMGSY, Sehao villagers under Khengjoi Sub-division, Chandel have started fleeing their homesteads since Saturday, our correspondent reports.

On May 9 at around 6 pm, two armed cadres of Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF) allegedly assaulted 5 villagers of Sehao and 6 other labourers engaged in the construction work of 14.7 kms long inter village road between Kemdo Lamkhai and Khengjoi under PMGSY phase IX .

A team of Kuki Students' Organization (KSO), Khengjoi block and former ADC member of Songjang Constituency Paokhosei Haokip along with a media team visited the Sehao villagers and the victims who took shelter at the outpost of 6 Dogra located at Kemdo today.

The assaulted villagers and workers have been identified as Seikhomang Haokip (27), s/o (L) Jamkhotil Haokip, chief of Sehao; Seichon Haokip (30), s/o (L) Onthang Haokip; Lunsei Haokip (35), s/o Thangsat Haokip; Lunkhosat Haokip (29), s/o Thangsat Haokip; Jamkhongam Haokip (38), s/o (L) Limsei Haokip; Sh Subash (44) of Keirao Wangkhem (Work Supervisor), JCB driver Kh Subash (30), s/o Kh Ibo of Wabagai, JCB driver S Herojit (19), s/o Kanhai of Nongmaikhong, JCB driver Salam Romesh (28), s/o S Thoiba and JCB 2nd driver Chungkham Naoba (20), s/o Ibohal of Sekmaijin.

According to the victims, two armed cadres of Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF) brutally assaulted them (5 JCB drivers and a villager) near Sehao village while returning from the work site at around 6 pm.

A team of villagers (4) and a work supervisor who came to search the missing workers and villager were also allegedly assaulted by the two cadres.

The armed cadres had also reportedly threatened to kill all the villagers if they inform the Army and media persons about the incident.

Fearing reprisal of the armed outfit, the villagers fled their land along with the labourers and took shelter at the out post of 6 Dogra located at Kemdo.

Officers and personnel at 6 Dogra provided first aid treatment to all the assaulted individuals besides providing shelter and food till Sunday morning.

The visiting team, after interacting with the villagers, made temporary arrangement to accommodate the villagers at Khangbarol BDO Office as most of them refused to return to the village.

Speaking to media persons, Seikhomang Haokip, chief of Sehao and vice-president of KSO Khengjoi block said that the incident was not the first case of atrocity meted out by the KNLF cadres on the villagers.

There was an incident in the past where cadres of the armed outfit indiscriminately fired several rounds in the village creating fear psychosis among the villagers, he added.

Moreover, the cadres of the outfit had kidnapped one labourer who was engaged in road construction under PMGSY from the village on April 22 last.

Another case of torturing a Shaktiman driver had also been credited to the outfit.

Ever since the KNLF outfit had established their designated camp at Semol, villagers of the area, particularly Sehao villagers, are unable to live peacefully, the village chief alleged.

While appealing to the authority concerned to reposition the camp from the area, Seikhomang Haokip said that the villagers will not return to their homes until the authority concerned shifts the Semol designated camp.

Strongly condemning the action of the KNLF cadres, Paokhosei Haokip, chief of New Songjang village said such mindless action and atrocities of the KNLF on innocent villagers and labourers should be condemned by all.

He further expressed gratitude to the 6 Dogra for providing assistance to the villagers, besides appealing to the authority concerned to shift the KNLF designated camp from Semol in the interest of the villagers of the area.

Meanwhile, Thadou Students' Association (TSA), Chandel district has, in a statement signed by Gund Guite, secretary of information and publicity, vehemently condemned the Sehao incident while appealing to all the armed outfits of the region not to indulge in such atrocious act.

The students' body also stated that further atrocities upon the villagers from any organization or groups would not be tolerated.

The students' body has further appealed to the competent authority to take up necessary action at the earliest in order to bring back normalcy in the region.

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