Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 10 2010:
"Even if my son is dead, at least let me have his remains," pleaded Thoinu, heart-broken mother of Indragovind, to the Government as well as to the public.
20-year old Indragovind was among 17 of the young boys who escaped from a camp of KFL, armed wing of KCP, in Bangladesh.
However, along the way he fell sick and was left behind in a hut in the jungle.
Whether he is still alive or dead is not known.
Among the 17 who escaped, three of them including Indragovind are residents of Wangoo.
Just 20 years old, Indragovind is the son of Angom Chinglen Singh and Angom Ongbi Thoinu of Wangoo Laipham Makha Leikai.
The other two have been identified as Ibopishak (20) s/o Sanasam Gourakishore and Sanasam Ongbi Ibeton of Wangoo Laipham Chuthek and Bankimchandra (26) s/o Sanasam Bishembore and Sanasam Ongbi Pramodini, also of Wangoo Laipham Chuthek.
In a press conference also attended by Ibopishak and Bankimchandra, who managed to reach home, as well as Thoinu, mother of Indragovind at Wangoo Laipham Chuthek Leikai Bazar hall today, Thoinu informed that her son had been taken by one Memcha on the assurance that he would given a job in an NGO at Bangkok.
Appealing to the public and the Government to save her son, Thoinu said that even if her son is dead at least his mortal remains be made available to her.
Before taking them away from home on false promise of providing job in an NGO at Bangkok on March 36 last, Memcha wife of Loitongbam Manimohan of Wangoo Laipham Chuthek but staying in Langol Games village, have given Rs 2000 each to Indragovind, Ibopishak and Bankimchandra for purchasing new cloths for the journey.
A Mukna player, Indragovind has passed class VII and was earlier working as a construction worker.
He is the only son in the family of two siblings.
He has an elder sister.
Bankimchandra has studied upto class XII and worked in a brick field at Serou.
Mother of Bankimchandra, Pramodini, who was also present during the press conference, informed before taking away the three youths, Memcha had assured the family members that communication can be established through phone.
However, as no contact could be made, suspicion had been arouse.
Since then Memcha has been asking to bring back the youths.
Recounting how they reached the camp of KFL and escaped from there, Bankimchandra informed that at first they were taken to Shillong by bus along with a person.
Memcha did not come along with them but instead gave a telephone number to contact that person.
On reaching Shillong, they were offered meal at Arun Hotel.
Soon after that the person who came along with them from Imphal disappeared and another person who is known by the name of Jack drove them from Shillong in a vehicle to an unknown destination.
They were also made to climb hills and cross river.
At last they learnt that they were in Sylhet.
From there, they were again taken to a village called Kunagaon.
In Kunagaon village, KFL cadres asked them to joint KCP but they declined.
So they were beaten up.
From Kunagaon, they were again taken to a jungle in Bandarbon district.
There all 17 of them met together.
All 17 of them were forced to do manual jobs like collecting fire woods, cutting woods and cooking.
After staying there for around one month, all 17 of them planned to escape on May 23 and taking advantage of heavy rain, they fled in the night.
For over two days, they walked in the jungles without any food and not knowing where to go and slept the night near some rivers.
On the third day, they saw plantains and ate them.
After three days, Indragovind fell sick and could not walk any further.
At his request, Indrakumar was left behind in a hut inside the jungle.
Indrakumar made them promised to reach home and reveal the truth to all.
At long last , 16 of them reached Chajingpara village and the villagers contacted representatives of the Liberation Party who consequently handed them over to the post of the 40th Assam Rifles located along the Indo-Bangladesh border, Bankimchandra said.