Assailants will not be spared: CM
Many CSOs condemn ambush; Govt jobs to victims' kin
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 16 2011:
Assailants involved in yesterday's assassination attempt MLA Wungnaoshang Keishing that killed eight persons, six security men and two civilians, will not be spared, said Chief Minister, O Ibobi today who attended in offering the last tribute and salute to the slain personnel of the 1st and 6th MR. The assailants would be identified and befitting punitive action will be initiated against them whichever organization they belonged to, the CM said after paying tribbute to the slain personnel with full state honours at the 1st MR parade ground.
It is too early to come to a conclusion as to which UG group carried out the ambush before confirming it, the CM said.
On the occasion, O Ibobi announced that government jobs would be given to the next of kin of the deceased in yesterday's deadly ambush.
Later in the day, speaking at the opening function of the Imphal East Flagship Training Programme at Thang-ta Cultural Association, Irilbung, the CM said that the yesterday's ambush on the MLA's convoy was an act of cowardice and an inhuman act.
Violence will bring no solution, he said expressing concern over the increasing violence in the state.
Justifying the government's move to strengthen the state security force, the CM said that a large number of police personnel and state security personnel have been recruited to protect and safeguard the life and property of the people.
It is a well known fact that people are tired of the UGs, he said reiterating government's repeated appeals to the armed insurgent groups to come for talks.
He said that government wants to end all problems through dialogue.
The lifeless bodies of the six slain MR personnel were brought to the 2nd MR ground where they were handed over to their respective families.
The CM announced that besides giving jobs, ex-gratia payments will be given to the families as per existing government rules.
Families will also be paid in-service pays until the retirement age of the deceased personnel has been reached he said adding that all the expenses in the medical treatment of the wounded personnel would be borne by the state government.
Meanwhile, many social organisations have condemned the ambush on the MLA and his security convoy.
They also demanded an inquiry into the incident to find the culprits and bring them to justice.
The Centre for Organisation Research & Education (CORE) demanded the government to immediately institute a judicial inquiry under a sitting High Court judge or a CBI inquiry so that the culprits can be found out and booked as per law.
It also asserted that the Phungyar MLA has been in a vulnerable position due to criticisms from certain quarters.
The ambush was a clear attempt to assassinate Keishing and it was providential that he survived the deadly ambush.
However, the death and injured caused to security personnel and civilians are irreparable, it added.
The Threatened Indigenous Peoples' Society (TIPS) Manipur asserted that the ambush is a violation of the collective human rights and the values of the people of Phungyar and the responsible group should clarify the reason behind the assassination attempt.
Government should teach a lesson to the assailants that there is a democratic government in the state.
The Women Action for Development (WAD) shared its shock with the families of the victims and also appealed to the insurgent groups to stop killing people and not to make people insecure in their daily lives.
"Let's stop killing among ourselves who are very poor and vulnerable.
We are also very much concerned about our future generation �" the statement of WAD said.
The Tangkhul Aze Katamnao Long (TAKL) while strongly condemning the group who laid the ambush asked that the responsible group clarify to the public of their act and not to repeat this inhuman act in future.
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