AR misconduct a wake-up call, says UNLF
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 17 2013: Terming the July 16 incident in Jiribam wherein an Assam Rifles team led by one Major Anand Kanti stormed into Jiribam police station and assaulted the police personnel there as yet another testimony that Indian security forces are merely sustaining Government of India's hegemonic intention against the people of Manipur, the proscribed UNLF said time has come for one and all to wake up.

The fact that an AR Major could bash up State police personnel including an Additional SP ranked officer to forcibly secure release of a militant group's top functionary demonstrate that Indian security forces have no regard for their Manipur counterparts despite frequently claiming that they are deployed in the State to assist the civil administration, said a UNLF statement issued today by its senior publicity officer Ksh Yoiheiba.

Terming the Major's misconduct as most audacious and undesirable, Yoiheiba said the incident is even more shameful as the intention was to secure one Seikhohao Guite alias james kuki whom Jiribam police had detained in connection with an extortion case.

As reported UTLA (SK Thadou) general secretary Seikhohao Guite was taken into custody on the charge of planting a hand-grenade at a petrol pump in Jiri to extort money under the guise of KRA(U) .

Noting that Seikhohao was found possessing an identity card prepared/issued by the Assam Rifles in the name of Seinio Guite, the UNLF observed that attempt by Major Anand Kanti to secure Guite's release was due to apprehension that the captive might disclose nexus between AR and the UTLA faction in carrying out extortion activities.

Contrary to Indian security force authorities claiming that Central forces are deployed in Manipur to assist the state administration past incidents of frisking people's representatives (MLAs), detaining/harassing top police officers and constantly abusing innocent civilians are grim reminders that Central forces are not concerned with the welfare of Manipuris but stationed in various locations of Manipur to continue India's hegemonic policy and sustain its dominion at any cost, Yoiheiba construed.

Listing incidents of oinam village in senapati district, Heirangoithong massacre, Patsoi-Langjing firing, indiscriminate firing at RIMS (then RMC) campus and the Malom massacre as some of the brutal killings involving central forces, Yoiheiba said in many of these incidents even Ministers, MLAs and police officers were prevented from protecting the innocent civilians.

Despite facing repeated insult and embarrassment at the hands of indian security forces absence of concrete measures to rein in central forces testify that Ministers/MLAs are only concerned with clinging to power rather than ensuring that a secured environment is provided to the citizens.

While it is a known fact that Ministers/MLAs are more interested in remaining in the good books of the Central leaders thereby exposing the masses to risk reluctance of the State Government to scrap AFSPA from Manipur or implement inner line permit system as wished by the general public only testify that blessing of the Central Government remains top priority and focus instead of safety and security of the citizens, Yoiheiba expressed.

Stating that discriminatory attitude of the Central forces has been gradually ingrained into the mindset of the State security forces who have started to target even innocent civilians and not only insurgent members, the UNLF observed that the Jiribam incident could have been avoided had the Government of Manipur or the State forces been able to stand firmly and take their own decision rather than cowing to pressure from their masters in new Delhi.

While the Jiribam incident provides an opportunity for the State Government and police authorities to realise that central forces could never be relied upon when it concerns safety and security of the citizens, it was also a wake-up call to those armed groups who have entered into so-called peace talks or are intending to give up the armed campaign that central forces would be misusing them (UGs) against their own people at any given opportunity.

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